What exalted company our illustrious Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) president Pat Hickey is keeping. In the recent list of International Olympic Committee (IOC) rankings our 54-year-old representative in the sporting equivalent of the royal family, is ranked at 81 according to IOC protocol.

Due to retire in the year 2025 from the 105 person body, unless the rules are once again changed, Hickey can quite literally look down his nose on European aristocrats.

Below him on the IOC hierarchy is Princess Dona Pilar de Borbon from Spain at 93, Prince Henri de Luxembourg at 97 and Le Prince d'Orange from Holland at 102.