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Neil Horan's not the only oddball from Ireland!

Three Irish people who really should have checked that the tape was off

By
CONN CORRIGAN,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Monday, May 18, 2009, 11:39 AM
Updated Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 12:05 PM

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Former priest Neil Horan gets one over the British!
Former priest Neil Horan gets one over the British!

 It is true that we Irish don’t have the same tradition of eccentrics and craziness as our English neighbors have. But nevertheless, as Neil Horan has shown, there is no shortage of oddballs in Ireland. Here are three people - including Horan - who really should have thought twice before saying - or doing anything that might be recorded!

Neil Horan

Corneilus “Neil” Horan (aka the Dancing Priest) made a name for himself in spectacular fashion during the 2003 Formula One British Grand Prix. Wearing an orange kilt, a green waistcoat, and green socks pulled up to his knees, Horan ran on to the race track, forcing cars travelling at speeds of up to 185 mph to avoid him. He was waving banners saying, “Read the Bible, The Bible is Always Right." A star was born.

The Dancing Priest is convinced that the Second Coming is on its way. And he has felt it his duty to warn the general public to get ready. Preferably at large sporting occasions.

Horan was kicked out of the priesthood for his unconventional religious views. With his trademark kilt, ginger wig, had made a name for himself as the “Dancing Priest”, Roman collar and Star of David, apparently doing his “peace dances.” (He once wrote to Saddam Hussein and offered to perform one of these peace dances for him and his family.)

In the 2004 Olympic marathon at Athens, as Brazilian runner Vanderlei de Lima was in front shortly before the 22 mile mark, he was pushed by Horan into the crowds. Horan was wearing a sign saying, "The second coming is near, says the Bible." De Lima lost about 20 seconds in the race, but still managed to win a bronze medal.

And Horan was at it again during the soccer World Cup finals in Berlin, 2006: he was arrested after he declared that he planned to light a candle honoring Hitler, and carry placards saying that Hitler was a great leader who fulfilled Biblical prophecies.

Paul Stokes

Paul Stokes achieved his 15 minutes of fame when he walked on the set of the TV chat show called "The Late, Late Show," one of the most popular programs on Irish TV. "You are a censor, how dare you.” Stokes, dressed in blue jeans and a brown leather jacket, told the stunned talk show host, Pat Kenny. “You and Gay Byrne [the previous presenter of the show] are insufferable arseholes. You're an arsehole. You're a piece of s**t." He later admitted he had had “one or two drinks” before crashing the set of the show.

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See more: irish genealogy, irish roots, neil horan, paul stokes, twink, irish oddballs

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