In a matter of days, Americans around the globe will tuck into their turkey dinners for the celebration of America's favorite holiday: Thanksgiving. In true tradition, here at Irishcentral.com we have compiled our list of our top turkeys of the past year.

The eclectic mix of Irish and Irish Americans have put great effort into creating controversy over the past year. Some have offended the Irish, others have embarrassed the “Irish” name, but all of them have one thing in common: they’re well-deserving of IrishCentral’s second annual Turkey of the Year awards.

The Irish government

The handling of the bailout from Europe and the IMF was a case study in the three stooges school of economic planning.

From the beginning of the crisis they were either incompetent, saying it was only $6 billion or so (now it looks like $106 billion)  or determined to hide the truth, i.e. lying.

Fro the past week they have resembled the three monkeys, “hear no evil see no evil etc, denying that the IMF boys were on the way. One minister described the idea of an IMF bailout as as” a fiction” even as the IMF honchos were booking their tickets.

READ MORE: International Monetary Fund (IMF) on their way to Ireland

Lady Gaga

The queen of pop has enjoyed continued success this past year and is fast transforming into a global pop icon. With an ever increasing Irish fan base, the New Yorker treated her Dublin fans to hot chocolate while they were eagerly stalking her hotel in Dublin.

But the “Poker Face” singer left fans dismayed during her recent Monster Ball tour after she produced a tri-color flag during her performance at the Belfast Odyssey arena. Not exactly skilled in diplomacy. The singer obviously missed that day of geography class!

READ MORE- Lady Gaga uses tricolor for Belfast gig to dismay of fans

Neill Prendeville

This Cork city based celebrity DJ was thrust into the public sphere earlier this month when it emerged that he had performed a sex-act on an Aer Lingus flight last October. The radio personality says a cocktail of painkillers and alcohol means he has no recollection of the events.

While a formal investigation continues into the offence in which the father exposed himself. The 49-year-old has publicly apologized and is waiting to hear if his 96fm bosses will have his back.

READ MORE- Irish talk show host admits sex act on Aer Lingus flight


Charlie Sheen

No stranger to controversy, the actor was recently accused of causing $7000 worth of damages to his $1,000-a-night suite at the Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue in New York. “The Two and a Half Men” star was in the Big Apple with his former partner Denise Richards and their two daughters when the alleged offence occur.

But the madness didn’t end with the thrashing of the hotel room. In the early hours of the morning the emergency services received a call from a woman allegedly locked in the bathroom of the stars hotel room. The woman was later namedas Christine Walsh, an Irish American porn star.

READ MORE- Inside story on Charlie Sheen’s porn star Christina Walsh

David Drumm

The man who borrowed millions from Anglo Irish and then somehow jumped ship and sailed to America to leave all his woes behind! David Drumm declared bankruptcy in the United States in October in Boston. The Irish man decided to take refuge in his plush Cape Cod residence while the enormity of his risky deals emerged in Ireland.

While his bankruptcy hearing continues, this is one Irish man who have proved to be one hell of a turkey.

READ MORE- Former Anglo Irish boss files for bankruptcy in the U.S.

Barack Obama

The sliver of Irish roots are not helping at all. He and his party crashed to a catastrophic defeat in the mid term elections. Obama must take a lot of the blame, as his aloof, non-confrontational style means people think he just rolls over and does not fight back

John McCain

Once a principled maverick he has become an ugly carnival mirror image of himself. Turned on immigration rights activists and in his latest attack, insisted his wife did not support gays in the military even though she had made an advertisement saying exactly the opposite

READ MORE - John McCain turns his back on immigration reform

Lindsay Lohan

One star that will be breathing a sign of relief as the end of the year approaches is Lindsay Lohan. The troubled star is currently doing a stint in rehab after being released from prison. The 24-year-old  was sentenced to 90 days in prison in July for violating her probation from a 2007 drug charge. She was released on August 2nd having served just 2 weeks of her sentence.

Latest reports suggest that the “Mean Girls” star is about to lose her latest role in the film “Inferno”.

READ MORE- Lindsay Lohan to start jail sentence - see video

The first GAA porn star

Greg Jacob, the former Wexford hurling star found himself in trouble off the playing field this past summer when it was revealed he was an amateur porn star. The Sunday World newspaper revealed that Jacob had taken part in an British porn star's sex tour of Ireland. During an episode of Tanya Tate’s Sex Tour Of Ireland, Jacob is seen entering Tate's camper van. Need I continue!

GAA chiefs were none too pleased by the revelation.

READ MORE- Top Irish athlete revealed as porn star


The Irish Tax payer

And the award for the biggest turkey of them all for 2010 goes to the Irish tax payer. Not only have been been lumbered with the mounting bad debts from Ireland's toxic banks. But they can also look forward to an increase in taxes in the upcoming annual budget next month.

The buck has stopped with Ireland's hard working tax payers, who may have may have benefited from the Celtic Tiger era but never expected to be accountable for the wreck-less actions of greedy banks and property developers.

READ MORE- State-owned Anglo Irish Bank posts the largest financial loss in Irish corporate history