This statement shocks me. I've never heard anyone say they detest O'Brien. What did he do/say that was detestable?
When I say boring, I would find him boring to hang out with and talk to if I lived on DS9. The character is well done as an every-man type. His story lines with his wife and friends bring a lot of real life to the show that adds to the enjoyment of seeing DS9 the community, not just DS9 the science fiction space station.
I guess I am in the minority then when it comes to enjoying O'Brien. Personally, and its just my opinion, I couldn't stand him or his family. Whenever a O'Brien centric episode came on when I was doing my first run-thru of DS9 I would groan and suffer through it. I found him to be a pompous and arrogant character. I didn't like that he said he was once a soldier (isn't he technically still a soldier in Starfleet) and if this was meant to be that he was in the infantry prior to being an engineer, well that should have been a bit clearer. He was also racist, referring to the Cardassians as "Cardies" and "Spoonheads". As a Soldier myself that has served in both Iraq and currently in Afghanistan I do not refer to the enemy by racist terms. Alot of Soldiers do I know, but if I hear it I correct them on the spot. O'Brien seemed to be given a pass for his behavior and that didn't sit well with me. He also treated Bashir like an inferior when they first met simply because he was an officer that spoke alot and that annoyed O'Brien. That just didn't sit well with me, but I totally understand that it was the starting point of what would become a strong relationship between the two men. I also do not care for Colm Meaney as an actor. I know everyone here loves him and like I said, I know I'm in the minority, but I have not enjoyed anything that I've seen him in. He isn't believable to me as a gangster or any other role I've seen him in. But again, that's just me. It doesn't bother me in the slightest that other people enjoy O'Brien or Colm Meaney. We all have different tastes, likes and dislikes.
I'm not wild about Meaney as a person given that he endorsed Martin McGuinness for President of Ireland when he ran. Enjoyed him in a lot of his roles, though. Even with the duff accent in Con Air - Aw mayn, mye CAWR!
The O'Brien/Bashir friendship is the most believable of the choices given, but the best in terms of completeness, is the Kirk/Spock one. They have gone to enormous lengths for one another, and is likely the most iconic friendship because of that. So I'll choose Kirk/Spock friendship, even if Bashir/O'Brien act more like real friends would.
I'm gonna go one further and say the entire TOS crew. They sacrificed their careers and their lives in order to save each other. The branch of friendship first being extended by Spock by sacrificing his life in TWOK. I have to say for a guy who had "no emotions" he certainely had a big heart. The one I enjoyed the most was the Picard/Lwxana Troi one. The way she chased after him, showing no sense of control, no self-dignity and the way he just cringed in horror...well, I laughed till I cried.