rory to play for tb!

Good luck to him

Funny, I don't remember the same furore when Sonia decided to become an Australian citizen so she could run in the Commonwealth Games

bjg were have you quoted this piece i have never heard mcilroy make such comments?

McIlroy feels more British than Irish

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/golf/2012/0910/1224323820435.html


Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walks across the practice green during the third round of the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club on September 8th, 2012 in Carmel, Indiana. Photograph: Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Golf: Rory McIlroy has ended any debate about his national allegiance by declaring that: “I’ve always felt more British than Irish.” The 23 year old from Northern Ireland, who claimed a second successive FedEx title by winning the BMW International Championship at Crooked Stick golf course yesterday, made his comments in an exclusive interview in the Daily Mail.

The issue about who McIlroy would play for in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro – golf will be admitted to the Games for the first time – appears to have been resolved unequivocally with the world number one opting for Britain.

He continued: “What makes it such an awful position to be in is I have grown up my whole life playing for Ireland under the Golfing Union of Ireland umbrella. But the fact is I have always felt more British than Irish. Maybe it is the way I was brought up, I don’t know, but I have always felt more of a connection with the UK than with Ireland.

“And so I have to weigh that up against the fact that I have always played for Ireland and so it is tough. Whatever I do, I know my decision is going to upset some people but I hope the vast majority will understand.”

McIlroy had previously been circumspect when questioned about which country he would play for in the Olympics and had stated on a number of occasions that he considered himself to be Northern Irish. His comments are likely to provoke a strong reaction and at face value appear curiously timed.

The Rio Games are not for another four years and he was under no pressure to declare any allegiance one way or another. His decision to categorically state a preference at this point is likely to disappoint many of his supporters in Ireland.

i must say i am quite surprised by this statement from mcilroy.....ozy will be creaming his pants at this....

If that is how he feels, he should not be playing for Ireland in the world cup. Pod is far more popular in this country.

I always thought he was more British than Irish, so i think he's right

He is just like you Richters; more British that Irish

He has played all his amateur career for Ireland (its all one like the rugby)
even his professional career "i have grown up my whole life playing for Ireland under the Golfing Union of Ireland"

Ireland really need him because we don't win many medals at the Olympics, I am personnally gutted.

I will never support him again and will never support a team with him playing i.e. Ryder Cup Europe!

Surprised at the surprise on here; he has made this obvious for years.

Did he have any choice growing up and playing under the GUI?  I assume it was the only practical way for him to compete.

Now that he has a choice to make, he has made it.  Lets take it on the chin like a grown up mature Nation rather than resort to pathetic hatrid of the individual.

I wont post any hatred, as I dont like that stuff, but I will never support him again 
We are a small Island and need all our sporting heros , especially in the Olympics where we don't win too many medals

Naive I am ! I thought he might go for Ireland as we could do with him!

So you only supported him because you thought he was Irish?  What about his ability, his talent, his approach to the game, his personality etc?

Nearly everybody in the world regards Rory as Irish . Commentators are in the van in that regard .

Rory comes from a mixed marriage , went to school in an RC primary school ( I think ) , and then Sullivan Upper in Holywood ( logical  , few options in that regard without travel ) . His schooling /education was never I suspect top priority  regarding academic achievement, given that his passport said "golfer" from an early age  , and his career from about age 10 was about golf , including large support from a well known golf manufacturer / supplier to the golf trade . Plus friendship with DC and ultimate signing up with Chubby and co ( for a nice package ) .

That his uncle ( mothers brother) played gaelic for Armagh was probably not a high priority for anyone with a golf career in mind , physical sports like that and rugby would do nothing for your swing .

His dad more or less travels nowadays as part of the caravan as far as I see , dont think Rory's mother spends much time around the golf circuit . The curious aspect of this news is the timing , coming in the middle of a big tournament  , but cant say it surprises me , the younger people these days express opinions willy nilly as they are used to instant press , often at first hand  , and some of the athletes / golfers / twitter merchants have had cause to regret auto response which the internet has enabled . Few nowadays consult elders etc before committing to copy  , its part of the way the younger generation have grown up .

The real anomaly is the dilemma posed by conflicting jurisdictions straddling one small island .  As Rory points out , golf  in Ireland is organised on an island basis , and unlike sports such as soccer and athletics there is no "border"  . Likewise  rugby is Ireland based , although most of my northern rugby friends support Ulster as their "national team " . Might have had some validity years ago when nobody from Donegal , Cavan , or Monaghan played for Ulster ( no rugby there essentially) and all players were homegrown from the other 6 counties in Ulster . But nowadays when half the thrust in your team comes from the southern hemisphere and your best back is from Monaghan that loyalty tag has become increasingly spurious . They do enjoy supporting the boys in green also in huge fashion .

However golf in Ireland has always been conducted in an exemplary fashion regarding relationships between different traditions ( although clubs internally were not always even handed in regard to membership and respect for the "other guys" traditions  , but at macro level it was always for the greater good , and bite your tongue occasionally ). Rory is too young though to have experienced the path a lot of us have tread over the years , lucky for him in that regard , but exposure like that brings experience to those that have a mind to heed it , and it makes them more circumspect .

Holywood is not exactly a typical Northern Ireland outpost . Nor is Carryduff / Moneyreagh  where Rory lives now , the political and lifestyle forces in both those places do not represent "typical " Northern Ireland  scenarios ( lots will say thank goodness for that ). Rory is therefore the product of a polyglot society and will probably never assimilate the tribal distractions most of the rest of us residents grew up with , and through . Lucky in that regard .

Most of us true Irish golfers feel equally at home in Waterville , Killarney , Ballybunion , Muskerry , Rosses Point , Royal Dublin , Portmarnock , Royal Co Down , Belvoir , Malone , Portrush , Castlerock , Murvagh , etc , and cheered as hard for James and  Harry and  Christy and Padraig as we did for Fred and Darren and Graeme and Rory . Any subsidiary flag or emblem is of little interest to most of us , they are all "our own " and owe a lot of their success to the Golfing Union of Ireland ( the oldest golfing union in the world ) .

Anyway the Olympics has become a lobsided setup , the ideals of Baron Du Coubertin have become slightly clouded with the passage of time and the commercialism that now comes with high profile competitors .

The flag flingers in our midst have become an annoyance to me , flinging tricolours or Ulster or union flags at successful winners leaves me cold , but governments are at it too , todays stuff emphasises that , and some have dialled into sporting success as a means of distraction from the real problems that confront us as a society and from the daily conduct of affairs associated with our positions as educated and relatively wealthy / organised societies in world terms . David C high tailed it quickly here when early in the Olympics the realisation that promoting "Team GB " was disenfranchising a small but worthy element of the UK , unfortunately for him our first and second were both on holidays and the game was apparent by default . Civil servant black mark ?

Congratulations Rory , coming of age , sometimes news is better dispensed when you want to air it , rather than in answering directly the media , who always have an agenda for self generation .  Mid tournament is for concentrating on golf ( ref Tiger ) , 100% of the effort has to be on course , anything else is a distraction to be dealt with at your pleasure . The media are largely dependent on people like you , but it cuts both ways .

It is his choice. It would be tortuous later on if he was playing for Ireland but wanted to play for England or GB it's like a woman in a mans body...No point denying it any more

Soccer has a long stading tradition as an olympic sport.

as kelly states this is only small talk at this stage,i will await until he finally declares until i vent my anger upon him.....

When the time comes it wouldnt surprise me if a lot of the top professionals give it a swerve anyway, given the date will be just before the USPGA and the cash cow that is the Fedex Cup playoffs

just as a aside , i have a cousin who played for ireland at rugby from the north , he never sang the national anthem , dont think he ever really felt he was irish either , ....but when the whistle went , he fought for every ball as if his life depended on it...

ozy the individual you refer to was never on the garvaghy road in his life sir........