Role models: Young people are more likely to admire their parents or other family members than any other category of person, while George Bush and Bertie Ahern rank highest among those they least admire.
Asked to nominate any three people they admire, 35 per cent nominated parents and 15 per cent chose another family member. Some 26 per cent selected a friend, neighbour or person they knew in some other way.
Overall, and bearing in mind that some chose two or more family members or friends, 52 per cent nominated at least one such person.
Females (61 per cent) were much more likely to nominate their parents than males (43 per cent).
Some 31 per cent put a pop or rock star among their three most admired people, 25 per cent chose a sports person, 11 per cent a politician, 7 per cent a film star and 13 per cent other types of person.
The most common selections were Bono/U2 and Roy Keane, who were each chosen by 8 per cent as among the three people they most admired.
Others with support included David Beckham and the President, Mrs McAleese (4 per cent each), Nelson Mandela, Eminem and Colin Farrell (3 per cent).
Damien Duff and Gerry Adams had 2 per cent each, and Keith Wood, Bob Geldof, Mary Robinson, Westlife (or individual members of the band) and Bill Clinton were each selected by 1 per cent.
Teachers and the emergency services/gardaí were also chosen by 1 per cent each.
Asked to choose three people they least admired, 28 per cent chose a politician, 21 per cent pop or film stars and 10 per cent sports people.
President George Bush was chosen by 18 per cent, including 24 per cent of young Dubliners, the same proportion of the better-off ABC1 group and 23 per cent of the 23-24 age group.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was selected by 15 per cent and, marginally more worrying for him, 17 per cent of the under-25s of voting age.
Other Irish politicians chosen as least deserving of admiration were Ian Paisley (3 per cent), Charlie McMcCreevy, Charles Haughey and Liam Lawlor (2 per cent each).
Other foreign figures chosen were Tony Blair and Saddam Hussein (both selected by 7 per cent) and Osama bin Laden (4 per cent).
Some of the sports figures chosen among those most admired are also among the least admired. Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy are tied evenly with 2 per cent selecting each of them as not worthy of admiration.