A century in the waiting: why our All Blacks win is 2016’s highlight

When it comes to special sporting moments, Ireland has had quite a few in 2016.

However, according to research from One4all, the Ireland rugby team’s defeat of the almighty All Blacks for the first time in 111 years was the nation’s happiest sporting moment of the year – so say four out of ten people polled.

Meanwhile, the O’Donovan brothers revealing their ‘steak, spuds and pull like a dog’ strategy to RTÉ Sport was chosen as the second happiest sporting occasion of 2016 (13 percent). And the memorable moment Robbie Brady scored against Italy in Euros 2016 came a close third with 12 percent.

The survey, which was carried out among 1,352 adults in Ireland, furthermore revealled that the week-long Irish heatwave in July was the happiest non-sporting moment in Ireland this year (39 percent), followed by the 1916 centenary celebrations at the GPO – close-to a third of people felt that was the year's high point. 

It seems President Michael D has put a smile on quite a few people’s faces in 2016 with 14 percent of Irish adults saying the photo of him queueing to use an ATM was one of their happiest non-sporting moments of the year.

One4all also revealed that eight in ten adults say that they feel happier at Christmas time than any other time of the year – with Christmas Eve being more exciting for most than the big day itself. 

The brand said in response to the findings: “It’s great to know that for most people, 2016 has been a happy year. From special sporting moments and monumental events to spending time with your family and friends, it’s clear that happiness comes in all shapes and sizes.  “

“This Christmas you can make your gift personal by giving a One4all gift card and let your loved one choose something that will make them smile, bringing them some extra happiness to top off 2016!”