95 Comments

• Seanmor | Dec 03, 2012, 11:02 AM EST

  Regarding ones's national identity, having been born in London, the capital of Great Britain. I could claim to be British, but I'malways very proud to be Irish. However, my Irishness was never confined to the part of the homeland formerly known as the Free State; my 'nationality' applies to the whole nation and all its parts (an náisiún uile agus gacg roinn di). In one sense, I don't blame Rory McIlroy if he chooses to compete for G.B. in the next Olympics, and not for Southern Ireland. Ireland's neighbor to the east always uses its proper name at the Olympics, which of course is G.B. But at these international games the Southern Irish state competes under the name Ireland, which is obnviously a misnomer. I'm no more a Free Stater than I am a Unionist.

• Beaugeste | Dec 02, 2012, 04:10 PM EST

  There are so many factual errors in this piece of drivel I hardly know where to start...lets pick a few: if you've ever actually been to Stormont you should know that it is situated in East Belfast, an almost exclusively Protestant area. Those deprived homes you refer to are owned by Unionists. Next, County Down (which just in case you didn't know is where Stormont sits..) didn't form part of the Ulster Plantation, so seems somewhat misguided to talk in the terms you do. Next,universal suffrage or one man one vote, existed in Northern ireland at the time of the so called "civil rights" campaign. In both Westminster and Stormont parliamentary elections it was one man one vote. In the local council elections there was an additional property qualification which gave a small number of proprty owners limited additional voting rights, a system which had operated until very recently throughout the whole of the UK. I think you might find that catholics owned property too...so again to talk in the terms you do is frankly misleading. Academdics agree it had essentially no bearing on any electoral outcomes.(try for example Smith and Chambers "inequality in Northern ireland" - if you can be bothered to get your facts from something other than a Sinn Fein PR office.) I could go on. I could look on the usual drivel about Londonderry...but I really just can't be bothered. The really sad thing is your denial that a catholic born in northern Ireland ( a a part, whether you like it or not, of the united kingdom of great britain and norther ireland) could actually want to be British...that is really sad. Perhaps you would extend the same logic to Wolfe Tone, CS Parnell, Robert Emmett, Henry Joy McCracken etc etc and deny that they as Protestants could ever wish to be Irish.

• citizen69 | Sep 19, 2012, 02:19 PM EDT

  @Vince363: Rory doesn't want to be English! He is Northern Irish and therefore may (or may not) play for the Great Britain & Northern Ireland team, simple. And it's not as if he is suddenly changing his nationality to British, he has always been British (and Irish). @Celticfour: There are/were plenty of Catholics at his home club, what's your point?

• Happyhippo | Sep 16, 2012, 02:12 PM EDT

  Rory's priority is not the Irish tricolor or British flag but to earn as much as he can while he can,so all you sponsor's out there,the bigger the payday the more patriotic he will be,its not ideal,but don,t forget we do have our very own patriotic Olympic golden girl Katie Taylor who was so proud to fly the tricolor.

• vince363 | Sep 16, 2012, 10:29 AM EDT

  as a irish born person who spent most of my teen age years in england , i can tell rory mcinery hes welcome to england if he enjoys being called a "oirish bawsted" thats his choice as for me as soon as i was vold enough i moved to canada as i did not want my children born in a "hostile" cultural enviroment today both my sons and grandsons are proud canadians proud of their irish heritage . as far as rory mcinerys wish to be a "brit" go for it , hes welcome to britishness ,just glad my kids arent,

• IrishmanOz | Sep 14, 2012, 02:10 AM EDT

  This story is made up drivel from the anti Irish rag the Daily Mail in England. The Daily Mail has a long history of anti Irish slurs, propaganda, outright lies and slander. The Mail should disappear up its own arse like the NOTW..

• ancavker | Sep 13, 2012, 01:56 PM EDT

  kilsally: I am not disagreeing with you, simply saying I have not heard it used, and I am in Fermanagh( Cavan/Fermanagh border area) every year. Again I don't doubt you, but I would also be surprised that any Catholic in Tyrone would use the northern Irish label.

• ancavker | Sep 13, 2012, 01:53 PM EDT

  dan: lots of drivel comes out of the mouthsof the Irish in Ireland, many times vomit loads of it.

• ancavker | Sep 13, 2012, 01:49 PM EDT

  Falls: Do you mean to tell us it is just nationalists who are secterian?

• EmeraldJoe | Sep 13, 2012, 05:02 AM EDT

  Guys, Rory is from Northern Ireland, not the Republic. Hence it makes sense for him to represent the UK. It ain't rocket science.

• DanOLoingsigh | Sep 13, 2012, 04:30 AM EDT

  CurtisJ - Not as hilarious as your twisted take on the modern Irish - British relationship...who made a very popular visit to Ireland for a week last year if not a 'Head of State'?

• citizen69 | Sep 13, 2012, 01:30 AM EDT

  Statement from Pat Finn, General Secretary of the Golfing Union of Ireland: "I wouldn’t see it as an insult for the GUI if a player chooses to play for Great Britain. Many of our programmes are funded by golfers who are British as well as Irish.". Mr Finn went on to say: "It was inappropriate for Northern Irish players to have to play under the tricolour, as happened with Rory and fellow Ulster golfer Graeme McDowell at the golfing World Cup in China last year. We should be cheering them on regardless of what (Olympic) team they might play in – if they qualify, which is another matter."

• curtisjohnson | Sep 12, 2012, 10:00 PM EDT

  "Britishness is a nationality too" This is hilarious.

• seanomelb | Sep 12, 2012, 07:40 PM EDT

  The ex Brit Tommy is back again. Maybe he thinks his last set of lies are forgotten and dares to put his foot in the cesspool of lies and innuendo again.

• FallsRNat | Sep 12, 2012, 06:10 PM EDT

  so what, we would be fawning all over him if he was a brit & switch sides to us, reading some of the posts in the irish papers & on this board you can see that sectarianism is still alive in the irish state, where it has festered for the last 100 years, a sad indictment on our nationalist society

• merefalow | Sep 12, 2012, 04:24 PM EDT

  screw him,stupid bloody game anyway.

• DanOLoingsigh | Sep 12, 2012, 02:47 PM EDT

  Pointless misses the point…McIlroy has not defected anywhere…he is exercising his freedom to choose…just as other NI sportsmen, and others, are entitled to do…Pointless doesn’t get to decide who can be Irish and or British, or both…and just what Irish-American visa applicants have to do with anything he has yet to explain?

• maryosullivan | Sep 12, 2012, 10:18 AM EDT

  Darao, I agree people are free to call themselves whatever they wish, however, can you explain why the the newspapers constantly questioned McIIroy's political views and never questioned those of McDowell.

• darao | Sep 12, 2012, 10:05 AM EDT

  Posters - please spare us all the historical stuff. We all know what happened ages ago in Ireland, in Spain, In ussia and many other places. It has little or no relevance to current events or choices. Ireeland, North, South, East and West are moving ahead with new positive energy focused on building better lives for the people. People feel free to call themselves Irish, British, Northern Irish or whatever else and it occupies little of their energy. Joan Baez said "I would like people to think of me as a human being first, a pacifist second and a folk singer third. I would like the same for all people in Ireland - Human being first, pacifist second and from whatever town or area you wish third.

• Kilsally | Sep 12, 2012, 07:56 AM EDT

  I see Newton Emerson from The Irish News sees the holes in this article (see his Twitter account) - O`Dowd thinks Dundonald is Nationalist - presumably refering to O`Dowds silly comment about Stormont and Carson`s Statue looking down on Catholic housing estates when in fact they are mostly working class Protestant / Loyalist houses in Dundonald. Doh Niall!!

• Kilsally | Sep 12, 2012, 07:52 AM EDT

  gerardmccabe53 `You can't deny that the Brits conquered Ireland, tried to kil the language and the Catholic religion, to no avail and then partitioned the North, creating an aritifical majority which sewed the seeds for the violence for the next 80 years.` sorry Bernard but the people of Northern Ireland created Northern Ireland - later this month we are celebrating the centenary of the 1912 Ulster Covenant (on Ulster Day, 28th Sept) and formation of the Ulster volunteers, formed to fight the South OR Westminster government. Indeed a declaration of the formation of a provisional Ulster government followed - only the outbreak of World War 1 stopped civil war in Ireland - the Ulster Volunteers going to WW1 as the 36th Ulster Division. You can`t blame the Protestant Reformation on the British - it was a European movement - Britain has millions of Catholics.

• Kilsally | Sep 12, 2012, 07:46 AM EDT

  branagh - the Irish Open was in Northern Ireland at Royal Portrush gold course - golf on the island of Ireland is governed on an All-Island basis as it was created before partition and continued as an All-island governing body - therefore the Irish Open takes in both Ireland/UK jurisdictions under its auspices on the island of Ireland - indeed it is not so long ago that the likes of the GAA banned it`s members from playing such `foreign sports` as golf, cricket, football and rugby - they being British sports played by `protestants`.

• citizen69 | Sep 12, 2012, 07:30 AM EDT

  @IrelandNorth: Rory's dad was a barman & his mum was a factory worker. They both worked extra shifts and additional jobs to earn the money to pay for Rory's golfing development. They very much sound like working-class people to me.

• citizen69 | Sep 12, 2012, 07:11 AM EDT

  O'Dowd would like to present himself as an open-minded person. He will see himself as a supporter of gay marriage, green cards for illegal immigrants and ex-terrorists in government yet where his prejudices shine through are in regards to religion. By his own admission he simply cant accept a Catholic showing loyalty to Northern Ireland. This pathetic sectarianism is at the heart of many bigoted comments made here on the Irish Central website. He is obviously quite comfortable with Ulster Protestants of a British identity competing for Ireland in the Olympics, Rugby, Cricket, Golf or whatever but he will not accept it the other way around. Meanwhile he would have his readership believe it is only Protestants in Ireland who were/are sectarian & bigoted. One just needs to read this website to prove that is not true. @Branagh: As Rory is British AND Irish (like many in NI) he would see both the Irish & British open as his own, just like Graeme McDowell & Darren Clarke.

• IrelandNorth | Sep 12, 2012, 06:49 AM EDT

  PS (a) There are such things as Protestant republicans and Catholic unionists, though they tend to be the exception to the abnorm. (b) If Rúadhrí was Jewish, his nationality would be determined by his matrilineage which, as mentioned below, would be Ulster-Scottish. But if his mother were an Ulster-Scot and consequently a Jewish-Protestant, would that not make him an Essene, and entitled to represent Qumran in Palesrael/Israestine? Then we would have to find out, was she Ashkenazi or Hassidic. (c) If he drinks Beck's bier, and nationality is determined by what beer one drinks, would that not make him Germano-American? (d) 2012 Olympics included women's boxing. 2016 will include golf. What next, tiddly winks? Dwarf throwing? Then Highland Games to follow suit with caber tossing, highland flinging and haggis throwing. If rioting were an Olympic event, more golds for NI?(e) Only nations and/or states compete in modern Olympics. And since Northern Ireland (NI) is a neo-provincial statelet, and it's flag that of Ireland's Ulster province, would it actually qualify? (f) If Irish people have "moved on" (sic) from nationality, to where have they moved and from where? And how advisable is it for commentators to unthinkingly parrot revisionist script dictated by a partitionist press/media with a neo-imperial agenda? (g) There were also Anglo-Scot Catholic planters/settlers in Ulster. The town of Strabane in County Tyrone, (on the Donegal county boundary), is a Catholics town of such 'non-native'(?) descendants.

• bogsidebunny | Sep 12, 2012, 06:48 AM EDT

  The Irish republic downplays "nationalism" for fear of Ireland becoming like america, where the majority of the citizens put their Country before themselves. The auld Oirish adage is: Keep 'em divided and supply 'em with just enough welfare benefits to by "toys" and they won't be a treat. Works great on 3 year olds.

• EmeraldJoe | Sep 12, 2012, 05:56 AM EDT

  Laughably naive, ill-informed and prejudiced article. How are you guys getting on with the Native Americans, by the way? Have you given them their land back yet?

• IrelandNorth | Sep 12, 2012, 05:34 AM EDT

  'Nationalism' is not the exclusive preserve of Irish republicanism - ya know! Britishness is a nationality too. It's just a tad more heterogenous than its Irish equivalent. Regardless of what nationality he considers himself to be, I'd be more interested to know what socio-economic class he considers himself to be. And being from north county Down, I expect he's not working class. It's also interesting to note that he considers nationality to be determined by geographical or cultural milieu into whicih one is born, which of course is correct, ie class or nationality being inherited. Ultimately, the choice is his. But if Rúadhrí were to fail to qualify for Team GB, do I correctly intuit he would gladly default to Team Ireland?

• branagh | Sep 11, 2012, 09:00 PM EDT

  I have no problem with this guy Team GB or Team Ireland. What I found somewhat ugly and insulting was the interview - specifically,what are the features that make him feel so British and not feel Irish? Seems to be he has some ugly notions as what feeling IRISH entails! Perhaps,he'll have another clarification as what his fine qualities are that make him feel British? Overall,stupid and disappointing: 1. Rio is 4 years away 2. With a little modesty he could say -I have no notion what my form will be then or if either team would want me. Another somewhat unpleasant aspect: he has quoted last year as referring to the IRISH OPEN as his own but on Charlie Rose last week referred to the BRITISH OPEN in the same manner.

• warrenpoint00 | Sep 11, 2012, 08:31 PM EDT

  If Rory Mcllroy or indeed any person born in Ireland cannot come to terms with the simple fact that Ireland is a nation comprising 32 counties and four provinces then they absolutely should not consider themselves as being Irish and in no way should they represent our proud nation.We Irish are blessed to have enough people wanting to inherit our proud Irish heritage (e.g 5000 Irish American Irish visa applicants 2004)than to worry about a minority defecting to another nationality something that non Irish are entitled to do .The Irish people were never accorded this same small democratic entitlement by the british colonists that invaded Ireland, the british on the other tried to impose their will and crown on the heads of generations of Irish men and women.Unsuccessfully of course.

• curtisjohnson | Sep 11, 2012, 08:22 PM EDT

  "im not trying to deny the fact that the British ruled over Ireland and killed many Irish people, at the same time the French and Spanish were also doing the same thing all over the world" No comparison - the Spanish and French took steps to try to improve the areas they invaded whereas the british terror state merely wanted to destroy and/or enslave the indigenous peoples (see, for instance, the number of universities established by the Spanish and French for native peoples whereas the british terror state made education a felony in Ireland).

• fiddlinvet | Sep 11, 2012, 08:14 PM EDT

  A large sack full of rice fell over in China. Who cares.

• seanomelb | Sep 11, 2012, 07:29 PM EDT

  If the maudlin Brit cillowen hates "paddy,Taffy and Jock so much why does he use the Irish "cill" to identify himself. What an idiot

• cillowen | Sep 11, 2012, 07:01 PM EDT

  Britain's new heros according to news media are mcilroy and murray. that covers it nicely as most viewers think only of that being by default merry o. The frustration of avid tennis watcher trying to make sense of such spoke mightily to the "by design" one-sided credit. When these cats come acropper they get full of notice for their humble origin, mark my words - Jock and Paddy or Taffy.

• gerardmccabe53 | Sep 11, 2012, 06:33 PM EDT

  mccoo1, your analogy is ridiculous, period, end of story, you are that apologist that I am always running into online. Oh yeah, your limited focus on the numbers of people killed by who during the last 30 years is lame also. Are you really telling me to do some research? Slan leat

• seanomelb | Sep 11, 2012, 06:26 PM EDT

  O'Dowd article above says more about His "Irishness" than McIllroys'. You sound more like a condescending parish priest saying "sorry" for someone else's shortcomings.

• mccoo1 | Sep 11, 2012, 06:20 PM EDT

  gerardmccabe53, im not trying to deny the fact that the British ruled over Ireland and killed many Irish people, at the same time the French and Spanish were also doing the same thing all over the world. Britain itself also suffered from foreign invaders. Personally I don;t know Rory and neither do you so I don't how he was brought up. But by the looks of it he had a very good upbringing without any problems due to his religion. Yes his uncle was murdered by some thugs, but those thugs didnt represent Britain, so I don't see how that would play any part in his decision..

• dan | Sep 11, 2012, 06:11 PM EDT

  more drivel from Oirish-America. Stick your periscope where the sun dont shine, ODowd...and I hope it stings

• gerardmccabe53 | Sep 11, 2012, 06:09 PM EDT

  @mccoo1, I am in Belfast all the time, have seen the changes and for the most part, the changes are good! Lets not change the history. You can't deny that the Brits conquered Ireland, tried to kil the language and the Catholic religion, to no avail and then partitioned the North, creating an aritifical majority which sewed the seeds for the violence for the next 80 years. I believe in moving forward and trying to respect each culture since they are living next to each other. You throw the word bigot around very loosely. I am just saying that the history is the history and the Brits used the protestants as pawns to d otheir dirty work. You disagree?? Ok, then you are the one who can't be objective. McElroys' embrace of the British culture is certainly ironic when you think about his family suffering from the troubles which were created by the Brits, No?

• mccoo1 | Sep 11, 2012, 06:09 PM EDT

  Gerardmccabe53, Republicans killed more Catholics in N.Ireland than Loyalists. Do some research.

• mccoo1 | Sep 11, 2012, 05:46 PM EDT

  gerardmccabe53, Were did i blame Irish Americans for problems in N.Ireland?? I actually said it was people like TisEyerish living in N.Ireland during the troubles with their hate filled sectarion views that caused alot of the problems. I in no way blamed Irish Americans for problems in the N.Ireland. And stop all this nonsense about how the Brits and Loyalist paramilitaries were allowed run rampant over the Catholics, when in actual fact the IRA murdered more Catholics than any other group during the troubles...... All sides during the troubles did things they shouldnt have done, and until you accept that Republicans were no angels either then you will remain same hate filled bigot you currently are. As I said earlier religion should play no part in Rory's decision, I think it shows how much things have moved on in N.Ireland in a good way that someone like Rory from a Catholic background could be brought in in a part of N.Ireland were the majority are Protestants and not suffer from any problems. Its happening all over N.Ireland, people like you are in a tiny minority now, you arent wanted. Catholics and Protestants on a whole live side by side quite happily now. It's 2012 stop living in the past, move on like the rest of us in N.Ireland have. How about actually spending some time over here, you will soon realise quite quickly how your hate filled views wont be welcomed. The relionship between Ireland and Britain is at the strongest its ever been at the minutre. Like I said times are changing, deal with it.

• Kilsally | Sep 11, 2012, 05:43 PM EDT

  hoodw - Why would someone from Northern Ireland choosing to fly the Northern Irish flag be a traitor?

• Kilsally | Sep 11, 2012, 05:42 PM EDT

  ancavker - I live and Tyrone and there is a marked increase - most still choose British or Irish but Northern Irish has increased as first preference and is also second preference for the majority - see census figures

• hoodw | Sep 11, 2012, 05:33 PM EDT

  Castle Catholics are nothing new nor special. To Hell with McIlroy and all traitors to their people and land.

• Kilsally | Sep 11, 2012, 05:31 PM EDT

  Niall, your contrast of Down with Tyrone & Armagh doesnt really hold either as there have been several Catholic Unionist MP`s elected in those counties through the years - Sir Denis Henry, was born in County Londonderry in 1864. A son of prosperous Catholic businessman, he was elected MP for South Londonderry in 1916 and later served as Solicitor-General for Ireland and then as the First Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.

• Kilsally | Sep 11, 2012, 05:25 PM EDT

  gerard - of the 3200 people killed over 30 years of troubles (more people killed in new york every year) 60% were by the IRA - the IRA killed almost twice as many as the Loyalist paramilitaries killed - so who was allowed to go rampant? (stats on the University of Ulster CAIN website and Sutton databse of deaths)

• gerardmccabe53 | Sep 11, 2012, 05:01 PM EDT

  remarkable!!! mccoo1 must be a puppy who never experienced the disgracefull british government's treatment of the Catholics in the North. Certainly, Rory was lucky enough to escape. His uncle should have been that lucky. paramilitaries were allowed to run rampant over the Catholics in the North by the Brits, doing the Brits dirty work. Rory can do what he wants and all of that but to forget that the brits tried to destroy the will of the Irish Nation over the course of hundreds of years is a bit sad. He can call himself more comfy with the brits but he might change his mind if he looked at the history of Ireland. A sad day. Love that mccoo1 blames the Irish Americans for the problems in the North, WOW!!!!! inexplicable

• barneyjo | Sep 11, 2012, 04:55 PM EDT

  Quite so Niall. Now if you apply that same rationale which allows you to be comfortable in your own skin to Rory McIlroy, then.............!!

• citizen69 | Sep 11, 2012, 04:07 PM EDT

  Well said Mccoo1... @Tooreenagrena: I neither pretend to be a nationalist nor appreciate being called a 'Hun'. Yet another I.C. commenter reveals themselves to be a sectarian bigot.

• mccoo1 | Sep 11, 2012, 03:38 PM EDT

  Some of the comments here are nothing short of disgraceful. I myself am born and raised in N.ireland from a mixed marriage and like Rory consider myself Northern Irish but also British. Whats the problem??? Am I not allowed to be Irish/Northern Irish and British aswell? I got news for some of you Irish Americans, there are plenty of Catholics over here who consider themselves Irish but also British and likewise Protestants who consider themselves Irish but not British. Religion should play no key in what country Rory represents at the Olympics. Unlike football/soccer as you would call it, were there is Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland team in Golf like Rugby over here is played under an ALL Ireland body. When growing up or taking part in the GOld World Cup didnt/dosent have had any other option but to play for Ireland. But at the Olympics he has the choice to represent the Republic of Ireland or Great Britiain AND NORTHERN IRELAND. He's made no secret of the fact he's proud to be Northern Irish, not once have I ever seen help celebrate with a tri-colour. After the last ryder cup victory he was celebrating the the Ulster flag. Its basically a no brainer, if he wants to represnt Northern Ireland then he will be playing for Team GB at the next Olympics.. As for TisEyerish and Co I suggest you go and educate yourselves before telling Rory where he can and can't live. Thankfully you live in the USA. It was people like you during the troubles with your sectarion hatefilled bigoted views that created alot of the problems in the first place. Thankfully now in N.Ireland people like you are in the minority.

• Tooreenagrena | Sep 11, 2012, 03:18 PM EDT

  Citizen69. Another Hun pretending to be a nationalist. Piss off loser.

• TisEyerish | Sep 11, 2012, 02:24 PM EDT

  I suggest Mr. McIlroy surrender ALL of his holdings in Northern Ireland, turning them over to the Republic of Ireland, and move to the England that he seems to love so well and identify with. Niall was correct in his assessment, at least as far as this Irish-American is concerned...it certainly did grate on me. I would give just about anything to live on Irish soil...in the Republic of Ireland.

• peterquinn | Sep 11, 2012, 02:11 PM EDT

  Well said.

• jimwhalen | Sep 11, 2012, 02:06 PM EDT

  Here's my take on the issue as a New York Born Irish-American. If he has chosen a position, and no long feels he owes anything to Ireland, Then he no longer walks behind the Irish Flag. PERIOD. Withdraw any previous recognition as well. Note: that's with a full understanding of the issues historically with the north. (No Caps)... "Up Mayo"!!! DONE

• ancavker | Sep 11, 2012, 01:30 PM EDT

  kilsally: I am in northern Ireland at least once a year, every year, sometimes twice a year, andI have never heard any one call themselves northern Irish. As far as the massacres of Protestant settlers over 350 years ago, what you have had them do, ask them politely to leave? What the Scots have done, if the plantaion was the the other way around as in Scotland being planted by the Irish? I would think they would have responded the same way.

• Kilsally | Sep 11, 2012, 01:14 PM EDT

  Anyhow young Rory`s open letter struck the perfect balance - it is perfectly possible to be a Northern Irish Ulster man who is both British & Irish - you don`t have to make a choice, indeed more and more people are opting to call themselves Northern Irish than ever before.

• Kilsally | Sep 11, 2012, 01:12 PM EDT

  there were alot of massacres of Protestants in the 1640`s also and as stated by citizen - the plantations intended to remove alot of folks from land but in the end very few were removed and it was shared out - not forgetting that most folk didn`t own there land anyhow - it belonged to irish chieftans - the flight of the irish earls etc

• oneill1912 | Sep 11, 2012, 01:09 PM EDT

  "He is too young or too successful to have studied the history too much I imagine..." What's your excuse then Niall? 1. North Down has never returned a nationalist politician, moderate or other wise to Westminster 2. The only poor neighnourhoods Stormont lords over are Prod ones of east Belfast and the sink estates of Dundonald. Get the facts right and then make your point.

• Buffalobrave | Sep 11, 2012, 01:06 PM EDT

  citizen69; If you think there are a lot of bullshit articles on here, then why are you HERE? Troll.

• Kilsally | Sep 11, 2012, 01:06 PM EDT

  Niall your article is full of holes as usual. Both Rory and his father chose the northern Ireland flag as does Graeme McDowell - so his youth has nothing to do with it. Indeed today`s teenage youth - Catholics in Derry / Lurgan / Belfast and recently Protestant teens in Belfast frequently recreational riot on sectarian lines and they have never known the Troubles. The roads issue is a load of aold nonsense as well - the Waterside area of Londonderry has tens of thousands of Protestants living there in small council houses - the old propaganda that Protestants were richer than Catholics is a nonsense - the working class Loyalist Republican housing estates are all rige with drugs, alcohol abuse and poverty. And your assertion about one man one vote in the 1970`s is a load of old nonsense as well. Westminster elections were held on the exact same basis of one man one vote right across the UK from the early 1900`s. What you actually refer to are the local council elections, which up until about the mid 1940`s right across the whole UK only gave the vote to the person that paid tax to the local council - which was the house owner (nowadays the tenant pays the tax / rates bill not just the owner and everyone gets a vote whether they pay tax to the council or not). The UK changed that to one man one vote and it took Northern Ireland which had it`s own Parliament until the late 1960`s to reform local council and Northern Ireland Parliament elections - the voting system affected Protestants as much as Catholics but it was a system used across the whole UK so your assertion is false.

• TayandCake | Sep 11, 2012, 12:46 PM EDT

  Focus on people who are happy to be Irish and stop crying. Two fellas from Belfast where happy to go the way for Ireland in the Olympics.

• citizen69 | Sep 11, 2012, 12:34 PM EDT

  ... For O'Dowd to suggest that ONLY Protestants owned houses or land during the 60's & 70's is pure fantasy! Protestant working class were just as disenfranchised by the voting system as the Catholic working class (this voting system was in use throughout the UK) Typical Irish American/ Sinn Fein revisionism. When O'Dowd says that Carson's statue "looks down on the deprived nationalist neighbourhoods below." he insinuates that nationalist are worse of than their protestant neighbours. Actually, Catholics are more likely to be in a better paid job than Protestants, the Catholic middle class is bigger than the Protestant counterpart and Catholic children are a lot more likely to get a University education. And most job discrimination in the last few years has been aimed against Protestants (just ask SF's Conor Murphy).

• Glenn B | Sep 11, 2012, 12:18 PM EDT

  Section 1 of Good Friday Agreement (1998) gives recognition to the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as "Irish" ; "British" or "Both", as they may so individually choose, and accordingly confirms their right to hold both British and / or Irish citizenship which is accepted by both Governments, and will not be affected by any future change in the constitutional status of Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement was ratified on the same day in both jurisdictions of the Island of Ireland as follows: Northern Ireland 71% Yes Republic of Ireland 94% Yes Moving on, the United Kingdom is made up of Irish-British, Scots-British, Welsh-British & English-British. It is possible to be both Irish and British. Finally he's Rory McIlroy - great golfer and fantastic ambassador for this Island!

• citizen69 | Sep 11, 2012, 12:14 PM EDT

  ... As for the Plantation, the number of Catholic Irish removed from their homes & farms to make room for the original plantation was less than 5%. The original plan may have been for Planters to given all the good land but in reality it didn't happen. The local Irish peasantry didn't own the land to begin with, it was under the Iron fist of the Irish Earls. For the first time the Irish would be paid for labour and could save to buy land. Things changed later during the Penal Laws (which also affected most Planters) but originally they lived side by side. As for counties Antrim & Down, they, along with Monaghan, were not part of the Plantation.

• darao | Sep 11, 2012, 12:09 PM EDT

  Who cares what flag he chooses. Irish people have moved so far beyond this nationalistic trip that it is really irrelevant. I don't understand why American writers keep looking for such drivel to write. This kind of dragging up catholic and protestant labelling drags everyone and the peace process down. Almost no one in Ireland gives a hoot about such rubbish. If you have roots in Ireland go over and spend some time to know the people now but drop all that bitter old bullshit about a revolution and troubles no one wants or cares about anymore in Ireland.

• citizen69 | Sep 11, 2012, 12:06 PM EDT

  This has to be perhaps the most inaccurate, self-pitying bullshit article i've yet seen on IrishCentral, and there are a LOT of them on here! For O'dowd to suggest Rory is proud to be Northern Irish simply because (in Niall eyes) he is ignorant of history is an insult.

• pilib04 | Sep 11, 2012, 11:53 AM EDT

  Since Rory has made it clear he will not make an Olympic's Nation decision until 1916, why not let it go for a few years? As for playing under the Northern Ireland's flag (as he has also played under the ROI flag and the Brit flag), that gets my Irish up. We didn't desert Ireland, the Free Staters deserted us. Munster writers don't need to lecture Ulster golfers!!!

• MickFealty | Sep 11, 2012, 11:41 AM EDT

  Can I just add, that Rory's great uncle was shot in Orangefield, not Holywood. His widow moved to Holywood for safety. So the concept of 'making peace' here is a flawed one. Can I also point out that the local Catholics were completely wiped out or driven from their homes in the widespread massacres of the 1640s. The iron hand here was if anything more absolute than anything that happened in the west. Most Catholics can trace their roots to incomers from Belfast and other parts of the island since just before emancipation.

• cillowen | Sep 11, 2012, 11:35 AM EDT

  when he wins he'll be british or english by Merry o's papers and those who lump it all as england - losing as i've known and see over the years HE'll be dumped back to ould Erin go bragh. Similarily the sname happens to scots and welsh achievers.

• maryosullivan | Sep 11, 2012, 11:25 AM EDT

  If he wants to be a Brit let him have at it We've got Bobby Sands, Michael McKevitt, Gerry McGeough, Marian Price, Tommy McKearney etc,etc. Why should we care about a ballplayer? He would have to live a thousand years or more to come close to honor they have brought to Ireland

• seagreen | Sep 11, 2012, 11:24 AM EDT

  Who cares...............

• travelmpq | Sep 11, 2012, 11:20 AM EDT

  Rory should take note of Andy Murray's experience. When he wins, he'll be British. When he loses, he'll be Irish.

• Dublinborn | Sep 11, 2012, 11:19 AM EDT

  when you mix 40 shades of Green with 50 shades of Gray in a United Europe thats collapsing you end up with a bogey on the 19th

• maryosullivan | Sep 11, 2012, 11:18 AM EDT

  Does anyone find it peculiar that Mcllroy's politics are constantly questioned and McDowell's are never even commented on? Says a lot about Irish newspapers

• Casa redondo | Sep 11, 2012, 11:06 AM EDT

  Sa sad , for two reasons. firstly the main issue for me is that the situation should not even arise. professional golfers should not be allowed take part in the Olympics. There is a wonderful worldwide amateur golf scene which is booming and only amateurs should be allowed take part in the Olympic games.These Professionals seem to want it all .winning a gold medal will have little value to them .they want to win majors and money. think what it would mean to the great wealth of amateur golfers all over the world to have the chance to represent thir country in the Olympics. Secondly it is a sad reflection on your journaloist Sean o'Shea and your paper to raise this issue everytime Rory puts his head above the parapet.while your (Niall) article is more balanced it falls into the same old trap -seeing everything in Irish /.British terms. I don't recall much hullabaloo in the British papers when all and sundry declared for the ROI soccer team although british born. we are getting on nicely here now thank god and we don't need this kind of Journalism in the sporting arena. Oh and I will wager that Rory does not play in the Olympics.He will have peaked by then and will have been passed out by others.

• MickFealty | Sep 11, 2012, 11:02 AM EDT

  North Down has produced some notable Nationalists. (Bulmer Hobson was born in Holywood for instance. But no representatives. It is also the most Catholic town in a constituency that It just 9% of Catholics. It has also consistently produced some of Unionism's most liberal representatives. Despite being close to some of the nastiest centres of Loyalist terrorism Holywood saw very little of the troubles. As a result, Catholics and Protestants have been mixing freely in the town for generations to an extraordinary extent. The truth is that our future constitutional choices will not be dictated by the whims of the fundamentalists, it will be decided by the much slighter political decisions of people like Rory who perhaps care much less about politics itself that the previous generations did. This is what we got when we bought the GFA. The Catholic middle class, if the Unionists are not stupid about it, are now the bulwark of the Union; and the Protestant middle class are the key to unification. At the moment, I don't see little signs within organised nationalism that this is how the rules have changed.

• Mousemess | Sep 11, 2012, 10:47 AM EDT

  Ce cuma a bhfuil no nach bhfuil Ruairi Mac Giolla Ruaidh sasta no nach sasta a bheidh ina Bhiotanach no ina Eireannach? Leaid og lobhtha(lofa)i mo bharuil.

• jerrydonovan | Sep 11, 2012, 10:33 AM EDT

  Nial,you should be ashamed to have penned such a load of garbage!I have NEVER saw anywhere a statement from McILROY to the affect that he was happier to be considered more British than Irish.I am from the north of Ireland and I am equally proud of both McIlroy and McDowell.I am also proud of Patrick Harrington.I am proud because they all come from our little island.Please keep their religious and/or political background out of the discussion.The people in the north for the most part are trying to get past the catholic/protestant,unionist/nationalist label so why can't you.Focus on their achievements.Frankly, I believe that you are better than this piece of garbage that you wrote.

• pounder | Sep 11, 2012, 10:29 AM EDT

  If Obama can claim he is 'Irish', then I guess it's OK for Rory to say he is British.

• IrishmanSpeaks | Sep 11, 2012, 10:25 AM EDT

  Niall, You make a good effort to rationalize McIlroy's comments in a sober manner and then you fall into the same type of thinking that has blighted this troubled isle. Why, oh Why, should someone's allegiance / politics be dictated by their religion? Indeed, a religion that few people in Ireland practice or care about until something like this arises.

• mamaginnty | Sep 11, 2012, 10:20 AM EDT

  Mc Ilroy showed us what he thought of Ireland when he first won, someone ran over to him with the tri-colour and he pushed it to the side. He can stay british it does not bother us, he was spoiled as a child with parents wealthy compared to ordinary nationalists who were pushed into ghettos with no votes and sign's in your face reading ..catholics need not apply. He was sheltered from all that, or maybe just does not want to know. Broke off with his longtime girlfriend weeks after winning and sacked his cabby, not a very nice lad I think.

• bunkerhill | Sep 11, 2012, 10:19 AM EDT

  Rory who? Ireland was almost destroyed by the greed of the English Royals, along with most of the peoples of the earth. I don't remember the author who said "Any country with a king or queen at the helm will always be at war." The greed of these inbred meglomaniacs knows no bounds. Anyway I happen to know most English don't like the Northern Irish so who cares what this guy does. He was asked sometime back on TV what his favorite beer was. He answered Becks. The reporter questioned if he like Irish Beer and he again said Becks. Anyway he may not go anywhere. Actually royalists should live in England where they can give daily homage to their masters. Small loss to Ireland.

• Mousemess | Sep 11, 2012, 10:19 AM EDT

  CEARD ATA A RA AGAT? Obama FORCED to support Hillary? SEAFOID! Nil aon ni cearr ar Hillary Clinton. BEIDH SI MAITH GO LEOR MAR UACHTARAN!

• lecorri | Sep 11, 2012, 10:17 AM EDT

  I find this so very sad but I suppose with the centuries of british domination, this was bound to happen to some.

• MickFealty | Sep 11, 2012, 10:11 AM EDT

  It's just swallowed my comment! Is there a time limit?

• hardshoe83 | Sep 11, 2012, 10:10 AM EDT

  I'll have to say this again. I'm a Protestant and I can't understand why he wants to be British. This is the weirdest thing I've ever heard. Maybe I'm just an oddball, being a Protestant who supports Irish Republicanism. The British soldiers need to get out and go back to England where they belong. I can't stand unionists.

• Seanmor | Sep 11, 2012, 10:02 AM EDT

  When McIlroy or anyone else says he/she likes being British, not Irish, it often dependens on what is meant by "Irish". If it means giving one's loyality solely to the part of Ireland that was formerly known as the Irish Free State, then I fail the test for being "Irish". My place of birth was London, England, but I have never identified with that country. I'm a U.S. citizen whose cultural heritage is purely Irish and applies to 'the whole Irish nation and all its parts (an náisiún uile agus gach roinn di). Having honorably eserved 4 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as an IRISH citizen, my first loyality in to this great nation. But my strong cultural attachment is to Ireland as a whole. Therefore I could never be a Free Stater - a Unionist or a Europhile.

• Prevailer | Sep 11, 2012, 10:00 AM EDT

  Good for him. His name is his father's and Irish DNA is part of his genealogy. But God save the Queen!

• MacGregor | Sep 11, 2012, 09:50 AM EDT

  McIlroy has Ulster-Scots blood on his mothers side - Rosie McDonald. He is no more Irish Catholic than he is Ulster-Scots Protestant.

• Irishphotograph | Sep 11, 2012, 09:46 AM EDT

  While religion plays an identifier Roman Catholic (Irish) or Protestant (Loyal to England). Its always been about Nationality and fight against British Imperialism. I dont think any other People suffered as much from the fall out of the Reformation than the Irish People. Under English Protestant rule the Irish being Roman Catholic paid for the crimes and sins of Rome in Europe.... HOW THE ROMAN POPES GAVE IRELAND TO THE ENGLISH TO RULE OVER US... ROME WANTED TO SUPPRESS THE CHURCH SAINT PATRICK HELP ESTABLISH. THE CELTIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH.... This was indeed what King Henry did and one of his first acts was to call the Council of Cashel in 1172 at which the ancient Celtic Church of Ireland was brought into submission to the yoke of Roman bondage. As for the Papal insults that the Irish were a rude, ignorant, uncivilized people, had not the missionaries of Patrick's Celtic Church brought the uncorrupted Gospel not only to the rest of the British Isles but to Europe? Was it a savage people who produced such beautifully illuminated Christian manuscripts as the Book of Kells, and who preserved the primitive Christian faith in their communities even under Viking attack, whilst Papal Rome was sunk in, the depths of vice and superstitions? The Roman Catholic writer O'Driscoll admits: "The Christian Church of Ireland was founded by St. Patrick, existed for many centuries free and unshackled ... and differed on many points from Rome. From the days of Patrick to the Council of Cashel was a bright and glorious career for Ireland. From the sitting of that Council to our own times the lot of Ireland has been unmixed evil and all her history a tale of woe." Views of Ireland, Vol. 2, Page 84.... Also King William aka Billy had the blessing of Rome to fight in Ireland.

• ancavker | Sep 11, 2012, 09:16 AM EDT

  andy: In the begining of the article Niall says that Mc Illroy comes from north Down, not south Down, perhaps you should read it again. Also I think we all undersand Catholic Protestant, as in born/raised/ It is nit picking to have to use the word. background. Again he can choose whatever identity he likes, and I think what Niall was trying to point out was that it is kind of sad. I happen to agree.

• ancavker | Sep 11, 2012, 09:11 AM EDT

  Niall,you make some fair points - and a few troubling observations re. Protestant triumphalism which I despise - but underpinning your story, as clearly evident in your last sentence, is the notion that all Catholics in N.I. should be nationalists, longing for the opportunity to march behind the tri-color. This has never been true - even in the worst days of the 1969 - GFA period a majority of Catholics in the North would have preferred to keep their association with Britain - as they still do. As we are so adept at doing, we continue to ignore this blinding reality, preferring to believe the myth.

• Breathnach | Sep 11, 2012, 08:15 AM EDT

  David Feherty for the record carries an Irish passport, considers himself Irish, and on captaining Ireland to the Dunhill Cup stated the tricolour was his flag. He also famously congratulated Padraig Harrington on being the first Irishman to win the British Open, since Fred Daly - according to Feherty - considered himself British. He's hardly an example of Unionist arrogance.

• KathyCallahan | Sep 11, 2012, 08:13 AM EDT

  Too sad for words here. Quiet brooding moody melancholy

• andylaflin | Sep 11, 2012, 07:37 AM EDT

  Somewhat unbelievable how many inaccuracies there are in this article. Firstly Mcilroy comes from North Down not South Down. North Down particularly the area he comes from in and around Bangor is overwhelmingly Unionist. Mcilroy himself from a Catholic background grew up in Holywood a town that is 68 percent protestant according to the last census. He also attended Sullivan Upper school which is predominantly Protestant unlike the vast majority of Catholics in Northern Ireland who attend Catholic grammar and secondary schools. By growing up in a Protestant area, going to a Protestant grammar school and by playing golf in a golf club which is overwhelmingly made up of those from a Protestant background, it is likely that all of this played a far greater role in shaping his cultural identity than the political history of the South Down region. Lastly stop referring to the likes of Graeme Mcdowell as Protestant and Rory Mcilroy as Catholic when there is no way of knowing their religious persuasion. By all means refer to them as coming from a Protestant or Catholic background but we have no way of knowing whether they believe in God and follow a religion than if they regard themselves as believers in the Flying Spaghetti Monster.