British and Irish Lions: The greatest ever Ulster players to have represented the famous tourists
The British and Irish Lions arrive in Australia this week ahead of Saturday's opening tour game against Western Force so no better time to have a go at selecting a 'dream team' from the tourists' long and storied history.
But our remit is to pick the finest Lions match day squad made up of Ulster players who have previously donned the coveted jersey, a situation which also seems apt as, this time around, not a single representative from the province has made the cut for 2025's version of this famous side.
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His legacy was brought back into the spotlight in 2022 when Roy Keane, appearing on Monday Night Football, named Barry-Murphy Snr. as his greatest sporting hero—leaving the Sky Sports panel momentarily lost for words. "Growing up in Ireland, the GAA was a big part of my life," said Keane. "Hurling—watching Jimmy Barry-Murphy playing for Cork—you know, brilliant sportsman." So it's fair to say, he is qualified to offer his opinion when his son needs advice in the sporting arena. And his response was unequivocally in the affirmative. Article continues below "I got advice [from his father] in the sense that he just told me to take the job," Barry-Murphy said. "He said: 'don't think twice about it'. "He was speaking about the stature of this club and where it is and what an opportunity it is to put the supporters and the club on a path to something completely different and that is why have come here. 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