We asked ChatGPT to devise Ireland’s greatest-ever people list, and it came up with ten people from the world of politics, poetry, science, literature, and more.
The world of artificial intelligence (AI) has expanded, with ChatGPT taking over the internet and showing what AI can offer. For example, you can ask ChatGPT any question on any topic, and it can answer. Its scope of knowledge is vast.
And so, we decided to put it to the test on Irish history to see what the AI would come up with. We asked ChatGPT: “Give me a list of the ten greatest Irish people ever”.
It replied: “It’s difficult to create a definitive list of the ‘greatest’ Irish people ever, as it can be subjective and influenced by personal opinions and cultural biases. However, here are ten people who have made significant contributions to Ireland and the world in various fields”.
- We asked ChatGPT to devise Ireland’s greatest-ever people list, and it came up with ten people from the world of politics, poetry, science, literature, and more.
- 10. Éamon de Valera – the Long Fellow
- 9. Seamus Heaney – Nobel Prize-winning poet
- 8. George Boole – one of the top additions to Ireland’s greatest-ever people list
- 7. Bono – one of the world’s most famous musicians
- 6. Bram Stoker – author of Dracula
- 5. Mary Robinson – the first woman president of Ireland
- 4. Michael Collins – The Big Fellow
- 3. James Joyce – a titan of Irish literature
- 2. William Butler Yeats – “All changed, changed utterly”
- 1. St. Patrick – Christianity in Ireland
10. Éamon de Valera – the Long Fellow
Éamon de Valera is undoubtedly one of the most significant and, indeed, controversial figures of 20th-century Irish history. ‘The Long Fellow’ certainly did cast his long shadow over Ireland.
ChatGPT described de Valera as a political leader who played a “significant role in the Irish War of Independence and the founding of the Irish Free State”.
9. Seamus Heaney – Nobel Prize-winning poet
Ninth on the list of Ireland’s greatest-ever people is Derry-born, internationally renowned, and Nobel-Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney.
For ChatGPT, Heaney’s work explored key themes which explored “the Irish landscape and culture, as well as universal themes of memory, identity, and loss”, and earned him worldwide recognition.
8. George Boole – one of the top additions to Ireland’s greatest-ever people list
AI described George Boole as a “mathematician and philosopher who developed Boolean algebra”, which is a “fundamental concept in computer science and information theory”.
Such foundational and important work earns Boole a spot on Ireland’s greatest-ever people list. Though English, he lived in Cork for much of his life.
7. Bono – one of the world’s most famous musicians
Few people around the world have not heard of Bono, U2’s lead singer. The Dublin man is one of the globe’s top rockstars, musicians, and performers.
Bono divides Irish opinion, but his fame and effect no doubt see him earn a high ranking on this list.
6. Bram Stoker – author of Dracula
Dracula is a work of literature that has borne significance way beyond the shores of Ireland and into the international sphere. His role had a huge impact, according to ChatGPT, on popular culture and the horror genre.
5. Mary Robinson – the first woman president of Ireland
Kicking off the top five of Ireland’s greatest-ever people list is former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson.
Robinson also served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and has undertaken advocacy work on topics as significant as human rights, climate change, and gender equality.
4. Michael Collins – The Big Fellow
Some people would have Michael Collins higher on this list, and none can doubt his influence over Ireland during his life until his death in 1922.
The Corkman played a significant, and perhaps pivotal, role in the Irish War of Independence, Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations, and the foundation of the Irish Free State.
3. James Joyce – a titan of Irish literature
James Joyce is arguably Ireland’s greatest literary figure, rivalling that title with the following and penultimate name on the list of Ireland’s greatest-ever people.
For ChatGPT, Joyce’s Ulysses is a modernist masterpiece. He also wrote other acclaimed classics, such as Dubliners and Finnegans Wake.
2. William Butler Yeats – “All changed, changed utterly”
Another Nobel Prize winner, Yeats is not only one of Ireland’s greats but is indeed one of the greatest literary figures from around the world.
Some of his best poetry includes ‘The Wild Swans at Coole’, ‘The Tower’, and ‘The Dancer’, amongst others.
1. St. Patrick – Christianity in Ireland
With the lasting impact Christianity had on the island of Ireland, and indeed still does, it is understandable to see why AI has picked St. Patrick as number one on Ireland’s greatest-ever people list. Even if he wasn’t actually Irish…
St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland every 17 March, a day which is celebrated globally, too.
