Rory McIlroy is declaring for Ireland

later12 · 10-09-2012 02:04PM

pickarooney wrote: »

1896?
1936?

It was a rhetorical question. Even in 1936 the Olympics was not designed as a nationalist superiority-meter, even though many would have perceived it so, as they do today, unfortunately.

I'm just saying it's not really in the spirit of the Olympics, where nationality should be an incidental afterthought.

Leslie91 · 10-09-2012 02:05PM

maximoose wrote: »

True, but Rory's passport says British.

Yes.

But that does not and will not prevent him from representing 'Ireland' (as in island), as his passport reads UK of GB and NI.

I've no issue with guys with 'British' nationality representing Ireland (check out Jack Charlton's 11) as in their pp says they are British. It's him feeling more British than Irish that I don't get.

paddyandy · 10-09-2012 02:06PM

Well here is proof that success brings it's own woes and ambition is a Foe indeed .

p.oconnor · 10-09-2012 02:10PM

I hope this doesn't get him into too much bother, he's currently the best player in the world and should be celebrated north and south whatever his political orientation. I wish him well at the Olympics but will now hope our other Irish players can win gold for team Ireland.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-09-2012 02:10PM

I think this is a real test of how far we've come from the troubles of the past.

Rory is catholic as far as I know, and yet he says he's always felt more British than Irish. Which is a weird thing to hear because we've all been led to believe that it's Catholic = Irish, Protestant = British. Apparently not.
Here we have an opportunity to have someone from Northern Ireland, whose citizens have duel citizenship, actually represent duel countries.
Let him play for GB in the Olympics, support him if you wish, and let him play for Ireland in the World Cups, and let him play for NI all the rest of the time. And let him do it in peace.

The thing that really annoys me here is the media's refusal to drop this. It's 4 years until this even becomes an issue and yet they keep dragging it up. If he's forced to make a decision any time now he's going to have to put up with God knows what for the next 4 years from one side or the other. They should drop it. It'll create a big enough fuss when he does actually declare for a country, which as far as I can tell from these articles, he hasn't actually done yet?

Oarrack Bama · 10-09-2012 02:11PM

Where does it say in that article that he is going to represent GB

He has not decided yet.

maximoose · 10-09-2012 02:13PM

Leslie91 wrote: »

I've no issue with guys with 'British' nationality representing Ireland (check out Jack Charlton's 11) as in their pp says they are British. It's him feeling more British than Irish that I don't get.

Yeah, I get what you're saying. I'm from NI, and to be completely honest I feel no more Irish than I do British (and vice versa), and the majority of my friends growing up have always felt the same. We want to be just "Northern Irish" and left the f*ck alone cuz a) patriotism is overrated and b) the relentless bickering is just retarded :pac:

Monty Burnz · 10-09-2012 02:13PM

Leslie91 wrote: »

Yes.

But that does not and will not prevent him from representing 'Ireland' (as in island), as his passport reads UK of GB and NI.

I've no issue with guys with 'British' nationality representing Ireland (check out Jack Charlton's 11) as in their pp says they are British. It's him feeling more British than Irish that I don't get.

But then (for example) Daniel Day Lewis considers himself more Irish than British - you don't hear people complaining about that, oddly enough.

Thrill · 10-09-2012 02:15PM

galwayrush wrote: »

Not this crap already, Rio is still years away...

Gives us plenty of time for a good moan. No sense in waiting till the last minute when we have four whole years to flog a horse like no horse has ever been flogged before.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-09-2012 02:15PM

maximoose wrote: »

Yeah, I get what you're saying. I'm from NI, and to be completely honest I feel no more Irish than I do British (and vice versa), and the majority of my friends growing up have always felt the same. We want to be just "Northern Irish" and left the f*ck alone cuz a) patriotism is overrated and b) the relentless bickering is just retarded :pac:

This is what I always think should be the case. People in NI should be encouraged to form their own identity apart from British or Irish, or Catholic or Protestant. Scotland and Wales are in pretty much the same situation politically but they have their own cultures and identities.

StephenHendry · 10-09-2012 02:16PM

philologos wrote: »

There's no Northern Ireland Olympic team. Also, in the Olympics just gone quite a few people from Northern Ireland were on the Irish team.

rory does see himself or call himself northern irish from time to time, i watch golf quite a bit and the american commentators often refer to him as being northern irish.

most people from northern ireland are part of the all ireland team in the olympics. there were two athletes from derry that won medals but as part of team GB

StephenHendry · 10-09-2012 02:17PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I think this is a real test of how far we've come from the troubles of the past.

Rory is catholic as far as I know, and yet he says he's always felt more British than Irish. Which is a weird thing to hear because we've all been led to believe that it's Catholic = Irish, Protestant = British. Apparently not.
Here we have an opportunity to have someone from Northern Ireland, whose citizens have duel citizenship, actually represent duel countries.
Let him play for GB in the Olympics, support him if you wish, and let him play for Ireland in the World Cups, and let him play for NI all the rest of the time. And let him do it in peace.

The thing that really annoys me here is the media's refusal to drop this. It's 4 years until this even becomes an issue and yet they keep dragging it up. If he's forced to make a decision any time now he's going to have to put up with God knows what for the next 4 years from one side or the other. They should drop it. It'll create a big enough fuss when he does actually declare for a country, which as far as I can tell from these articles, he hasn't actually done yet?

Rory is a catholic

freddiek · 10-09-2012 02:18PM

even if he did change his mind and declare for Ireland whod want him?

the guy has said he feels more British than Irish and has more of "an affinity" with the U.K

they re welcome to him

summerskin · 10-09-2012 02:19PM

StephenHendry wrote: »

Rory is a catholic

My cat's breath smells like cat food.

LordSutch · 10-09-2012 02:19PM

freddiek wrote: »

even if he did change his mind and declare for Ireland whod want him?

the guy has said he feels more British than Irish and has more of "an affinity" with the U.K

they re welcome to him

Well to be fair to him, he was born in the UK.

StephenHendry · 10-09-2012 02:19PM

p.oconnor wrote: »

I hope this doesn't get him into too much bother, he's currently the best player in the world and should be celebrated north and south whatever his political orientation. I wish him well at the Olympics but will now hope our other Irish players can win gold for team Ireland.

padraig harrington commented that should rory and mcdowell declare for GB in the olympics in rio that frees up spaces for other irish players like say padraig, shane lowry for example as it is a win/win situation for us. rory and graeme can declare for us in the olympics so we have the best of both worlds hopefully with four irish players there

Rascasse · 10-09-2012 02:19PM

StephenHendry wrote: »

Rory is a catholic

How do you know? Seen him at mass?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-09-2012 02:21PM

The impression that I get from the few bits Rory has said on the matter is that if it was just a simple choice, he'd be representing GB. However, he's well aware of the implications of his choice and that means that he's not able to just make the simple choice as he would probably like to. Which again I think is a terrible situation for the poor guy to be in.

StephenHendry · 10-09-2012 02:22PM

Rascasse wrote: »

How do you know? Seen him at mass?

one of my dads mates know rory's dad through the various GUI and PPUI competitions down through the years and yes rory is a catholic :P

MJ23 · 10-09-2012 02:23PM

He was born and raised in Britain. Why would a British person be on an Irish team?
I don't know why those northern lads are on the Irish rugby team either. Why is there a northern Ireland soccer team and not a rugby team?

summerskin · 10-09-2012 02:24PM

StephenHendry wrote: »

one of my dads mates know rory's dad through the various GUI and PPUI competitions down through the years and yes rory is a catholic :P

Wow, you're like brothers.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-09-2012 02:26PM

StephenHendry wrote: »

padraig harrington commented that should rory and mcdowell declare for GB in the olympics in rio that frees up spaces for other irish players like say padraig, shane lowry for example as it is a win/win situation for us. rory and graeme can declare for us in the olympics so we have the best of both worlds hopefully with four irish players there

You're confusing me? Are you saying "us" as Ireland, or "us" as Britain?

In 4 years time it's highly unlikely that Lowry and Harrington will be in the top 15. That means we only get 2 players to represent us. If GMac and Rory go Irish that's our full contention of players. Nobody else gets in. If they go GB they have to compete with the likes of Westwood, Donald, Rose etc. etc. If they were deciding the teams now they'd all get in, but it's unlikely these guys will all be top 15 in 4 years.

Yamanoto · 10-09-2012 02:27PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

People in NI should be encouraged to form their own identity apart from British or Irish, or Catholic or Protestant. Scotland and Wales are in pretty much the same situation politically but they have their own cultures and identities.

Agreed.

Given a more benign and normalised political environment, NI society may evolve to a point where its people are less inclined to solely subscribe to a unionist or nationalist identity.

In that context, it's not a huge leap to think a shared identity, encompassing both cultural traditions and acceptable to all may manifest itself.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-09-2012 02:28PM

MJ23 wrote: »

He was born and raised in Britain. Why would a British person be on an Irish team?
I don't know why those northern lads are on the Irish rugby team either. Why is there a northern Ireland soccer team and not a rugby team?

Have you read any of the rest of this thread? It's all been explained multiple times.

Monty Burnz · 10-09-2012 02:30PM

MJ23 wrote: »

He was born and raised in Britain. Why would a British person be on an Irish team?
I don't know why those northern lads are on the Irish rugby team either. Why is there a northern Ireland soccer team and not a rugby team?

Because the FAI broke away from the IFA back in the day. Politics, you know. If I had my way, the FAI would be scrapped and we could revert to all playing under the IFA.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 10-09-2012 02:30PM

Yamanoto wrote: »

Agreed.

Given a more benign and normalised political environment, NI society may evolve to a point where its people are less inclined to solely subscribe to a unionist or nationalist identity.

In that context, it's not a huge leap to think a shared identity, encompassing both cultural traditions and acceptable to all may manifest itself.

Politicians have a lot to answer for as most parties are seen as Unionist or Nationalist. I don't want to get too heavy into the political discussions but yes, there needs to be a shift in the political outlook.

RossyG · 10-09-2012 02:30PM

Of course, Rory might be an atheist for all we know.

paddydriver · 10-09-2012 02:34PM

Sure didn't he wear a green top during round 3 on Saturday... Sure he must be Irish then.

latenia · 10-09-2012 02:35PM

Couldn't care less. The only golfer I'd actually cheer for is John Daly; the rest of them are anally retentive corporate whores.

Yamanoto · 10-09-2012 02:41PM

latenia wrote: »

Couldn't care less. The only golfer I'd actually cheer for is John Daly; the rest of them are anally retentive corporate whores.

Didn't John Daly reside in a trailer emblazoned with the Hooters logo?

Rory McIlroy is declaring for Ireland

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