Ranking all of the the best sporting montages 2016 | Balls.ie

Our own Conor Neville has a theory which not only suggests we live in the era of the sporting montage, but that it was an era kickstarted by RTE's post-2002 World Cup montage, which he describes as featuring the song Just a Day by Feeder accompanied by Jim Beglin talking about big toe areas.

He is, of course, 100% correct on all counts. Here are the 10 most powerful, spectacular and spine-tingling montages from the sporting year that was, beginning with a new dawn for Irish professional boxing:

10: Matchroom Boxing's promo for Katie Taylor's pro debut

Few expected Katie Taylor to follow Irish teammates Michael Conlan and Paddy Barnes into the pro ranks, but her deal with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom has already seen her go 2-0 (1KO) as a professional, with a third or fourth fight scheduled for Madison Square Garden on St. Patrick's weekend. It has also given us this. Still breaking barriers, is Katie.

EXCLUSIVE PROMO: @KatieTaylor ready to change the game! #TaylorKopinska #BigCityDreams pic.twitter.com/agjFIUxNM9

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 23, 2016

9: Conor McGregor's rallying call for the Ireland football team at Euro 2016

"What's up, Ireland?" aside, this was a pretty cool start to Ireland's Euros campaign. McGregor, it would transpire, bloody loved James McClean. And, of course, we're already aware of his thoughts on the queen.

Here is that rallying cry from @thenotoriousMMA to Ireland ahead of the start of #euro2016. We are here to take overhttps://t.co/wvOs5K8O4s

— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 13, 2016

8: Eir Sport's farewell to Robbie Keane

The new kids on the block dominated RTÉ in the Robbie-farewell sweepstakes. We were originally sceptical about the undoubtedly shite pop song by some lad or another, but it was somehow befitting of Keane's exit stage-left. An excellent job.

7: Sky Sports' end-of-season Premier League montage, May 2016

Surely even the most cynical of football fans, though fully aware - and weary - of the freight train-like, Sky Sports-led hype machine we indulge in from August to May, couldn't say no to a decent end-of-season montage.

This year marked a return to form for Sky UK, who enthralled us back in May with their strongest montage effort since their Temper Trap's Sweet Disposition-inspired 2008/09 curtain-closer.

UFC 205 Promo

Similar to their efforts for his rematch with Nate Diaz, this promo featured less frenzied 'OOOHHH's by Joe Rogan and more character focus. A strong finish whet the appetite for a historic night for The Notorious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOV6VaBL-pg

6: The BBC's Serena Williams 'Still I Rise' Montage

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Following Williams' Wimbledon win - her seventh title in all - BBC broadcast a montage of the American at SW19 down through the years.

Serena Williams reading Maya Angelou. This BBC montage wreaked of greatness.

5: The Championship Is Here Montage by Joe Coffey

Joe Coffey of Newstalk's Team 33 podcast put together this era-spanning montage to herald the beginning of the Championship season.

Praise the Lord, the summer was here, once. And it will surely return.

4: This most random of Roy Keane montages

A Keano effort outta nowhere which drove Balls readers and United fans berserk, such was its 'running-through-wall-ness'. For more from @aditya_reds be sure to check out his YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdlapW-Jxdo

3: RTÉ's Rio 2016 closing montage

The encapsulation of Ireland's - and in particular Michael Conlan's - despair during the boxing is particularly sublime, as is the pick-up of pace which follows and leads into Annalise Murphy's heroics and Usain Bolt cementing his status as the greatest sprinter of all time.

Rec2214 by ivannasee-somebutts

2: RTÉ's 'Spirit of '94' Montage

As soon as we watched this, we knew Ireland were going to do it in Lille. A beautiful amalgamation of Irish and Italian cultures; classical Italian music and the sultry tones of an excited George Hamilton.

[Watch Video]

1: Sky Sports' farewell to 'Axel' Foley

Axel stood for something. Having watched Sky Sports' tribute to Anthony Foley, the usual few throwaway lines seem even more vacuous than usual, and indeed utterly pointless given they can't remotely encapsulate the magnitude of the man Foley was, nor adequately sum up what is a remarkably powerful piece of video production in his honour.