Rory McIlroy is declaring for Ireland

AGC · 10-09-2012 01:46PM

fullstop wrote: »

If he wants to represent GB, he should pay back all the money the GUI spent sending him around the world to play for Ireland as well as the ulster branch coaching.

Meh...

He has boosted the reputation of the GUI with his wins as a pro and regularly thanks/mentions them.

He would have been getting grants from Britain as well

Beefy78 · 10-09-2012 01:47PM

squrm wrote: »

Northern Irish fella declares for Team GB.

Great Britain = England, Scotland, Wales.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland = ... eh well like it says in the title

Not a nationalist in any sense, wish the lad well whomever he delares for, but lets get the descriptions right

Whilst you're obviously right that NI isn't in Britain, calling him 'British' isn't factually wrong.

I appreciate that Wikipedia isn't gospel but in this case it is correct when it says:

British people (also referred to as the British, Britons, or informally as Brits or Britishers) are citizens or natives of the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies, British Overseas Territories, and their descendants.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_people

Green Diesel · 10-09-2012 01:47PM

squrm wrote: »

Northern Irish fella declares for Team GB.

Great Britain = England, Scotland, Wales.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland = ... eh well like it says in the title

Not a nationalist in any sense, wish the lad well whomever he delares for, but lets get the descriptions right

He may not have been born in Britain but he is still a british citizen.

In any case Team GB is the term used for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic team.

Yamanoto · 10-09-2012 01:49PM

Monty Burnz wrote: »

Christ, here's more of it.

They haven't gone away you know :pac:

AGC · 10-09-2012 01:49PM

There is some serious rubbish in this thread....Hard to think people believe some of the stuff they are writing:eek:

10-09-2012 01:50PM

conorhal wrote: »

Being from Norn Iron is a bit like being the child of a bitter divorce, Rory likes daddy better then mommy, there, he said it.

It's harsh when a needy parent's plaintive cry of 'who do you love best?' gets an answer that they don't want to hear. But mommy's been on prozac and crying a lot for the last 90 years, and daddy's aloof distain often generates in his children a desperate desire to please that stems from their craving for his witheld affection.

I know this one! Us Irish are mammy, aren't we?

maximoose · 10-09-2012 01:51PM

freddiek wrote: »

last time i cheer for this little rodent. Spat in the face of the irish people

Pathetic.

ArmaniJeanss · 10-09-2012 01:51PM

ShaneScouse wrote: »

Also FYI Northern Ireland is not in britian, Even if you are west brits or Unionists or whatever you wana be, NI is still not part of britian literally and geography speaking, alot of uneducated in here it would seem.
Its part of the UK of GB and NI, if you see it that way.

For Olympic purposes Northern Ireland is in the block of land coded GBR, and which the IOC officially refers to as Great Britain. So Rory has indeed declared for his home country of Great Britain.

Quite amazing the grammatical hoops you have to jump through where this tiny parcel of land is concerned

Rascasse · 10-09-2012 01:52PM

squrm wrote: »

Northern Irish fella declares for Team GB.

Great Britain = England, Scotland, Wales.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland = ... eh well like it says in the title

Not a nationalist in any sense, wish the lad well whomever he delares for, but lets get the descriptions right

Conversely what do you think it says in the nationality field of his British passport? Yep, thats right, "British Citizen". While someone may be Northern Irish they are also British (should they choose to identify as such).

Leslie91 · 10-09-2012 01:53PM

fullstop wrote: »

Does he, yeah? That's funny, he raised the tricolour at the opening ceremony of the Walker Cup in 2007 and has played the World Cup under the tricolour for Ireland for the past 2 years.

If he wants to represent GB, he should pay back all the money the GUI spent sending him around the world to play for Ireland as well as the ulster branch coaching.

Let's not get carried away...

Oh and just to re-state for the umpteenth time, both Rory and GMac (and Darren Clarke for that matter) have represented IRELAND at the World Cup of Golf (nevermind the Dunhill). There is no such thing as a N Ireland team.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-09-2012 01:55PM

Hopefully by 2016 he'll have married Wozniacki and declare himself as Danish and represent them. Problem solved.

Leslie91 · 10-09-2012 01:55PM

Rascasse wrote: »

Conversely what do you think it says in the nationality field of his British passport? Yep, thats right, "British Citizen". While someone may be Northern Irish they are also British (should they choose to identify as such).

Or Irish.........

fasttalkerchat · 10-09-2012 01:55PM

Rascasse wrote: »

Conversely what do you think it says in the nationality field of his British passport? Yep, thats right, "British Citizen". While someone may be Northern Irish they are also British (should they choose to identify as such).

That's because there is no NI passport. You have to choose either Irish or British and the boundaries overlap for that special reason.

EDIT: Or both equally (dual citizenship).

Monty Burnz · 10-09-2012 01:56PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Hopefully by 2016 he'll have married Wozniacki and declare himself as Danish and represent them. Problem solved.

Unless of course she declares for Poland.

Rascasse · 10-09-2012 01:56PM

Leslie91 wrote: »

Or Irish.........

Obviously.

dodderangler · 10-09-2012 01:56PM

Won't be hoping he'll win
Little judas rat betraying your own country
Let him go
He won't be welcomed back by myself anyway

fasttalkerchat · 10-09-2012 01:57PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Hopefully by 2016 he'll have married Wozniacki and declare himself as Danish and represent them. Problem solved.

Or Polish :P

FortuneChip · 10-09-2012 01:57PM

Fine, you can have McIlroy...
But we're keeping Chris O'Dowd!!!

This thread is full of nonsense!
Golf shouldn't even be in the olympics, unless they play a fun format like Bingo Bango Bongo!

summerskin · 10-09-2012 01:57PM

dodderangler wrote: »

Won't be hoping he'll win
Little judas rat betraying your own country
Let him go
He won't be welcomed back by myself anyway

He is representing his own country. What's so hard to get?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-09-2012 01:57PM

dodderangler wrote: »

Won't be hoping he'll win
Little judas rat betraying your own country
Let him go
He won't be welcomed back by myself anyway

Well that'll show him. I'm sure he'll be devastated you won't be there with arms outstretched to welcome him back to whatever imaginary place you're talking about.

squrm · 10-09-2012 01:58PM

Rascasse wrote: »

Conversely what do you think it says in the nationality field of his British passport? Yep, thats right, "British Citizen". While someone may be Northern Irish they are also British (should they choose to identify as such).

You mean his United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland passport

Yamanoto · 10-09-2012 01:59PM

dodderangler wrote: »

Won't be hoping he'll win
Little judas rat betraying your own country
Let him go
He won't be welcomed back by myself anyway

Is that you in the opening snippet of 'Off the Ball'?

Leslie91 · 10-09-2012 01:59PM

FortuneChip wrote: »

Fine, you can have McIlroy...
But we're keeping Chris O'Dowd!!!

This thread is full of nonsense!
Golf shouldn't even be in the olympics, unless they play a fun format like Bingo Bango Bongo!

That I agree with...

10-09-2012 02:00PM

Did a load of people on this thread just get back from an after-funeral party or something?

Monty Burnz · 10-09-2012 02:00PM

dodderangler wrote: »

Won't be hoping he'll win
Little judas rat betraying your own country
Let him go
He won't be welcomed back by myself anyway

I'm sure he'll be crying himself to sleep having lost the support of the likes of you.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-09-2012 02:00PM

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

That's because there is no NI passport. You have to choose either Irish or British and the boundaries overlap for that special reason.

EDIT: Or both equally (dual citizenship).

Yes, you can hold passports for both if you like. I saw a report on the news a while ago about students form NI applying for Irish pass ports to avail of a no fees thing in Scottish universities. It doesn't apply to British citizens, so they were all getting Irish ones to get in on the free education.
That annoyed me to be honest. If you considered yourself British, and only British, so only had a British passport, you shouldn't be allowed to claim Irish nationality just to avail of something free. But that's beside the point....

maximoose · 10-09-2012 02:01PM

Leslie91 wrote: »

Or Irish.........

True, but Rory's passport says British.

buck65 · 10-09-2012 02:01PM

Golf is posh. Not sport per se.

LordSutch · 10-09-2012 02:01PM

Over the decades many instances like this have occured. English Footballers born, raised and trained in England as footballers (maybe with an Irish grandparent, or maybe not)? who suddenly declare for the Republic of Ireland

Same goes for Welsh players who have declared for England and vice versa. Looking back at the ROI football team in the 80s and most of the team had English accents, then you have Rory McIlroy who was born and raised in the UK, and as such is free to choose whether he plays for Team GB or Team IRL. HIS CHOICE - Simples.

PS: what's the story with swimmer Bethany Firth? just curious with a name like that I would have guessed Team GB, but no, she declared for team Ireland. Its a personal choice.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-09-2012 02:03PM

Monty Burnz wrote: »

Unless of course she declares for Poland.

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Or Polish :P

She is very firmly in the Danish camp, as can be seen by her giant gaudy Danish heart necklace that Rory bought her last Christmas. However, she gets around the issue by having both flags on her racquet bags

So maybe Rory could do that? Appease everyone.

Rory McIlroy is declaring for Ireland

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