1. Clare won the All-Ireland (twice)
Remember when teams other than Kilkenny were good at hurling? (Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland)
2. The Renford Rejects was a thing
YoutTube credit: ROTSSisalive
The best TV programme of the 90s bar none.
3. As was Dream Team
YouTube credit: thedragonshufc
The show that made Dean Sturridge famous.
4. The famous four-in-a-row between Dublin and Meath took place
Maybe they should have just played next goal wins (Pic: INPHO).
5. Sky television descended from the heavens in a blimp, inventing modern-day football in the process
And Rupert Murdoch basically ruled the world (Pic: AP Photo/Martin Cleaver).
6. Rugby was still a thing sporting hipsters could be proud of, with its non-professional players and crazily big jerseys
Then it went all mainstream (Pic: INPHO).
7. Some footballers had really nice hair
Gotta love Carlos Valderrama’s flamboyance (Pic: Matthew Ashton/EMPICS Sport).
8. Or sometimes, they had no hair at all
Oldham cult hero, Andy Ritchie, rocking the bald look (Pic: PA/PA Archive/Press Association Images).
9. Jonah Lomu was in his prime
YouTube credit: churrbaycuzzy g
10. As was René Higuita
YouTube credit: GBTaxi
11. Sean Boylan seemed omnipotent
He was still going strong circa 1999 (Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland).
12. Blackburn actually won the Premier League
Back then, they had some top players, such as… erm, Jason Wilcox? (Pic: Neal Simpson/EMPICS Sport)
13. Grey and multi-coloured football jerseys were all the rage
The horror! The horror! (Pics: http://footballshirts.co.uk and Neal Simpson/EMPICS Sport)
14. Kildare made the All-Ireland final
Kildare lineout at Croke Park in September 1998 – not something you see every year (Pic: INPHO/Patrick Bolger).
15. Ireland was good at swimming (or at least, we briefly thought we were)
Let’s just forget everything that happened thereafter (INPHO/Billy Stickland).
16. Sonia O’Sullivan made us proud
Her athletics feats were matched only by THAT haircut (Pic: INPHO/Tom Honan).
17. Steve Collins beat up pretty much everyone he faced
Ireland 1-0 England (Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland).
18. Boxing was genuinely exciting and unpredictable
And also included the occasional instance of cannibalism (Pic: JACK DEMPSEY/AP/Press Association Images).
19. Probably the greatest game in Premier League history happened
Liverpool’s 4-3 victory over Newcastle pretty much sealed Man United’s title triumph (Pic: David Kendall/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
And Kevin Keegan lost his sanity amid the drama…
YouTube credit: ChuckleChannel
20. Italia 90 was basically one big party for the country
And Paul McGrath acted like he was that guy at the end of The Breakfast Club (Pic: INPHO).
21. Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi were the original Wozilroy-style sporting golden couple
Who needs Posh and Becks? (Pic: David Giles/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
22. Brian O’Driscoll was just a kid
That lad looks decent (Pic: INPHO/Patrick Bolger).
23. The Tour de France came to Dublin
And a year later, someone called Lance Armstrong won the event for the first time (Pic: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan)
24. Fantasy Football was brilliantly cruel
YouTube credit: burgo78
And Jason Lee was invariably the subject of its humour.
25. Cork City held Bayern Munich to a draw in the UEFA Cup
Stefan Effenberg and co didn’t know what hit them (Pic: INPHO).
What have we missed? Let us know your favourite sporting memories from the 90s.
