Rory McIlroy offered chance to be Ireland’s flag bearer in 2016 Olympics

@KerryLKing your twisted memory of history is wholly inaccurate. The Potato Famine affected the whole of Ireland and occurred because of Potato blight. It was not caused by the British so stop playing the victim. Protestants were not immune from famine and death. Contrary to popular belief amongst Roman Catholics we do eat just like everyone else. I am sick to death hearing the same old propaganda that the famine was a plot against all Roman Catholics. Not so. Protestants died just the same pro-rata. If you want to view any religion and its enthic cleansing examine the Spanish Inquistion whom tortured and murdered everyone who wasn't a Roman Catholic for 350 years. (Of course if you changed your religion to RC then all was fine otherwise it was death.) The Roman Catholic Church is the biggest sinner of them all. (Child abuse cases. Covered up for generations). They are complete sinners.

@donegal2012 being born in Northern Ireland as I was who gave you the right to name call because someone like Rory stated he felt more British than Irish. The Republic is a failed state and without German/French Euros and British Pounds the Republic would have ran out of cash in June this year. Well said @BelfastBoy our country (Northern Ireland) will not be stolen from us. This is no land grab. As for those who say the Orange in the republic of Irelands flag represents the Protestant people which Protestant leader ever stated that? The Protestant people have never accepted the tricolour as our flag or any part of it even the orange bit. Why would we? The Red Hand of Ulster is my flag. I have seen Rory and Graeme don it also. Personally I am wholly satisfied if Roman Catholics born in Northern Ireland embrace it also. To me it represents all religions, colours, creeds, backgrounds in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is the capital of world golf even better than the USA. (Come on Rory, Graeme and Darren fly the fly for OWC our wee country).

A disgustingly sectarian Tweet from a Sinn Fein aide on the last day of the Ryder Cup described Rory McIlroy & Greame McDowell as "Pathetic f**kers... more Ulster Prod than a Shankill fishwife, Truly House Taigs.". A disgraceful attitude that can be read in similar comments on here.

How sickening to read the comments below. Despite the flag of the Republic being Green, White and Orange - to symbolise peace between the 2 communities - the comments below show the warped minds of many still cannot accommodate any Irishman who doesnt fit their agenda, be they protestants, Poles or Nigerians. Got to laugh at IrelandNorth and the rest of you hate mongers. Who is going to pay for this little Republican dreamworld? Has it passed you by that NI needs billions of British pounds just to function whilst the Republic needs billions of European AND British pounds to do the same? The people have spoken, the fights over, you lost. Go and focus on crazy Mormons wanting to rule your country and forget about the one your great great grandfather is from.

Pat Hickey is a complete moron begging a little Orange sympathiser to carry Irish flag. Who gave him authority to make this decision!!

PPS Whatever about the current economc crisis in the greater part of Ireland - uncaused by the common man, the neo-provincial statlet of NI would have imploded long ago without being institutionally bailed-out by an over burdened British taxpayer since its Caesarian constitutionally delivery in 1922. If the British proper (ie English) want a united Ireland back in a democratic Commonwealth of Nations, there's very little imperious Ulster unionists can do about it. She who pays the piper calls the tune.

PS American olympians don't wear the colours of individual United States of America. They wear the American Union star spangled banner and sing the battle hymn of the republic. If the Europhiles have their way for the centenary year of our 1916 Easter Rising, there may be no Irish tricolour or British union jack for anyone to wear, but a blue star circled standard of a federal Europe.

I empathise with young Rúadhrí. He's only in his early 20s, and it must be difficult to be in a constant tug-of-war between competing ethnicities. Although saying he felt more British than Irish, he actually sported an Ulsterised English national flag (St George's Cross with crowned red hand superimposed), a symbolic adulteration English people don't generally tend to appreciate. Wearing an Anglo-Ulster flag whilst competing for Europe was surely indiscreet. Might he not do likewise if competing for the generic Team Ireland. White is the only colour which is common to both the tricolour and unions flags. Or he could wear GAA County Down colours.

This is a contemptible intervention by this fool Hickey. As has been pointed out, he has no right to make such a proposition. And how insulting it is to all the other athletes who aspire to represent Ireland in Rio. There's no doubt about it, you can always depend on an Irishman to make you cringe.

The motive for the flag bearer being offered to Rory is not clear,even though he feels more British than Irish, this should be reason enough not make the offer, when there are people who have earned the right and would be proud to carry the tricolor and have no problem with nationality.

That idiot Hickey has no authority to make such an offer to McIlroy ,and the majority of Irish people do not want him to do so ! The flag bearer should be an athlete proud to represent his country ,McIlroy does not meet that criteria . Perhaps he should carry the flag of that mythical " country " Ulster !

here we go again

Leave poor Rory alone. Not that he is poor. Give the lad a break. Go for your hear's desire, Rory.

Rory. With that smile and that head of curly hair he has got to be Irish. But for heavens sake will you lay off of him. If he wants to play for Britian so what. Rory, will be a bridge between the Unionist and the Republicians. Am I making sense. We have enough great golfers in the republic to win. Slan leat. Or is it Slan go foill.

He'd look good with that Irish flag on him. If that makes me prejudiced then I relish in it. Erin go Brách!