KATIE TAYLOR, Ryan Tubridy and Bono have topped their respective fields in sport, broadcast and music as the most admired people in Ireland in 2022.
A new marketing survey carried out by sponsorship advisers Onside found that Taylor retained her status as Ireland's Most Admired Sports Personality for the sixth year in a row, albeit down 7% to 18% in 2022.
Joining Taylor on this year's podium include Roy Keane (+2%) and Brian O'Driscoll (+1%), while golfer Shane Lowry (+4%) and horse-racing star Rachel Blackmore (+2%) made most ground in the chasing pack for the hearts and minds of the Irish public in 2022.
According to John Trainor, Founder and CEO of Onside:
"Katie Taylor has an avid fan base of over 680,000 Irish adults that see her as their number 1 Irish sports star. Within that base, she could potentially sell out Croke Park twice over with active supporters that will want to see live, the biggest event in women’s boxing history, if staged in Ireland."
He also noted that 2023 is set to offer major platforms for Irish sport stars to connect their personal brands with businesses seeking to engage with the public.
"The Republic of Ireland women’s soccer team journey to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand opens a strong pool of talent, with captain Katie McCabe currently admired most in the squad by the public," he said.
"Retired rugby stars Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell, and Ireland and Leinster captain Johnny Sexton, also emerge from our latest research as strong prospects for brands seeking to align with talent around the Rugby World Cup in France.”
Outside of sport, Onside found that Ryan Tubridy retained his No.1 status as the most admired television or radio personality in Ireland, achieving his highest score in over 10 years at 18%.
Meanwhile Marty Morrissey, Ray D'Arcy and John Creedon replaced Graham Norton, Marty Whelan and Ian Dempsey in the Top 10 most admired broadcast personalities.
In entertainment, U2 lead singer Bono, who has just released his autobiography ‘Surrender’, topped Dermot Kennedy and Christy Moore in the research category regarding most admired Irish music and live entertainment stars. Aslan front man Christy Dignam was the biggest mover in the music and live entertainment category in 2022, up 11 places to joint fifth with Hozier.
Trainor notes that:
"With the largest avid fanbase in the category of almost 370,000 Irish adults, and with 6 in 10 Irish adults in general book readers in Ireland, Bono can expect a strong base of sales for his new book in the Irish market in the run into Christmas."
"Not only are the athletes, broadcasters and music talent on our lists familiar and distinctive in their respective fields, but their influence and willingness to speak out on social and environmental issues positions them as model ambassadors and corporate speakers for companies seeking to communicate effectively to consumer and corporate audiences in Ireland in 2023," he finished.
