Is U.S Open champ Graeme McDowell Irish or British?
Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 at 03:20 PM
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Is Graeme McDowell Irish or British?
He is being claimed by both.
The British press are hailing him as the first British winner of the U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970.
The Irish are hailing him as their own, the next great Irish player.
He is now in the frame with Padraig Harrington and Fred Daly, as one of only three Irishmen who has won one of the four major golf tournaments.
McDowell is an Ulster Protestant, who plays under the flag of Northern Ireland.
He talks of himself as Irish which he did when he won the U.S. Open and described how much the Irish fans on the course helped him as he endured that tension-filled final round.
It is doubtful if McDowell thinks too much about his identity and he is comfortable being described as both Irish and British.
The NBC coverage clearly pegged him as Irish and he seemed pretty comfortable with that.
His Northern Ireland teammate Rory McIlroy is a Catholic and also describes himself as Northern Irish first.
He said he was happy to play with Great Britain in the Olympics when golf is introduced, a comment that did not endear himself to many Irish.
McDowell seems to have no such identity problems.
He is a Northern Irishman, pure and simple, which makes him both Irish and British.
It is an identity he can be very proud of and both Ireland and Britain are very proud of him.
That is how it should be.
51 Comments
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allan07 | Jul 17, 2011, 03:26 PM EDT
Today it has been declared that NORTHERN IRELAND IS THE SMALLEST SUPESTATE IN THE WORLD. I said that Darren Clarke would win the Open on 21st June. See below. I also backed Darren with £200 at 150/1 at Bet365. So I am over the moon and will collect £30100 tomorrow. It was great of Rory to tweet the BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION to congratulate Darren for his stunning success. I also liked his comments that it was great news for NORTHERN IRELAND. We are the best and the BBC SAID NORTHERN IRELAND IS THE SMALLEST SUPERSTATE IN THE WORLD. The comments made by some that it was great for Irish golf are wrong. (The ROI has nothing to do with our success and great players). Why cant they get their own and stop attempting to gatecrash OUR party? Get your own players you fools. What happened to your Padraig Hopeless?
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allan07 | Jul 04, 2011, 03:09 PM EDT
I have posted several comments recently but I believe the editors deliberately do not post them. Why are behaving like a mad libyan leader by withholding peoples views. I did not use any swear words or foul language. So why the censorship? I thought we lived in a free world. Why are the editors behaving like third world despot leaders?
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allan07 | Jun 26, 2011, 06:13 AM EDT
NORTHERN IRISH AND BRITISH. OUR WEE COUNTRY.
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allan07 | Jun 26, 2011, 06:09 AM EDT
Shuvonn - What I find so two faced by Irish People is that some view the plantations of Ulster as the cause of all their problems. Its silly to do so. If this is wrong when why have the Irish over generations moved to the US and Canada. By doing so they have in effect planted themselves in a land which was owned by native people the Red Indians. So what they are complaining about in one sentence they are doing the same to another set of people across the Atlantic Ocean. Is that Right? After all the Red Indians owned all the land in the US from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
What some people are upset by is the simply fact of recognition.Some arab states dont recognise Israel as a state. Some people dont recognise NORTHERN Ireland as a state but it is. Do we use the useless Euro in Northern Ireland. NO. Do we have our own Flag and identity. YES. Rorys Father said on the 18th green thats great two winners in a row from Northern Ireland. Rorys father recognises the state of Northern Ireland otherwise he wouldnt have mentioned it. Some people simply dont and are upset that someone else does. Why cant people be willing to accept that other people have the right to have a different opinion. I do. Rory and his father have the right to make up their own minds. I have no problrm with that. Indeed they may never mention the subject again. Whatever they do good luck to them. As for my own mind well I AM NORTHERN IRISH, BRITISH and that will never change this side of hell freezing over. NORTHERN IRISH TILL I DIE.
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allan07 | Jun 26, 2011, 05:49 AM EDT
Samsams: It is not true to say that the "conflicits between the people on this island have laid almost exclusively in Ulster for the last 400 years". What about the Easter Uprising in 1916, the Irish civil war. This happened across the all areas of the Republic of Ireland. (Eire at the time). During the troubles much of the violence was planned and was organised in the Republic. My home town Omagh in 1998 was bombed by terrorists whom travelled from the Republic of Ireland. All these events happened much less than the 400 years you talk about. Maths is not your strong point. (Either is History). Wasn't the former prime minister of ROI Charles Haughley accused of the procurement of Arms. Did that happen more than 400 years ago. The shipment of Arms from Libya did not happen in Ulster more than 400 years ago. NO is the answer.
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shuvonn | Jun 22, 2011, 10:27 PM EDT
I find it amusing that once a person from Northern Ireland does well they are presumed to be British ( and mostly by the Brits, kinda like the cows during the BSE crisis, those cows were all of a sudden Irish as opposed to British cows) and someone who considers themselves to be NORTHERN Irish, can be either or both and thats their choice...
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shuvonn | Jun 22, 2011, 10:23 PM EDT
Alllan07: enlighten us as to how irish people are in occupation of North American?
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allan07 | Jun 22, 2011, 06:30 PM EDT
Samsams, If you believe that the plantations of Ulster have caused all the wrong doing then i am afraid your simply blind. So if view the protestant people in Northern Ireland as wrong then the occupation of North America by Irish people is also wrong. After all North America was the property of the Red Indians before the white man set foot on North American soul. So shouldnt the Irish now leave the US and Canada and go home. After all they are the illegal occupants and foreigners whom have stolen the Red Indians land. Perhaps you should campaign for that. In australia theres alot of Irish whom have occupied that part of the world. Its time for them to leave as well?
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allan07 | Jun 22, 2011, 06:23 PM EDT
I have posted 2 further articles on this story but I believe they have been prevented from being posted. My guess is that the editor has blocked and prevented them from being posted. You dont have to live in libya for the state to prevent free speech. I didnt use any swear words and simply stated the truth. So if the people in charge dont like your opinion i am afraid you will get blocked. We might as well live under saddam or even in china where the state control everything.
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allan07 | Jun 21, 2011, 07:30 PM EDT
Samsams, Why do you talk about pre partition. Thats 90 years ago. Before my father was born and probably before your father time? Its not were you have been its where you are going.
When Rory McElroys father said to his son after winning the US Open "thats 2 winners in a row from Northern Ireland" Rory was happy, his dad was happy are you? Rory can consider himself in whatever way he wishes. Northern Irish, British, European, etc. Its his choice and his alone. Other people should not and have not got the right to say that he is wrong. He may decide to say nothing. Thats his choice. Whatever he does (if anything) I will still consider him a great golfer and may he continue to win more majors. I will shouting come on Rory, Graeme and Darren Clarke. ITS GREAT NEWS FOR OUR WEE COUNTRY - NORTHERN IRELAND. COME ON RORY, GRAEME AND DARREN. GOOD LUCK.
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samsams | Jun 21, 2011, 06:03 PM EDT
allan07. County Tyrone lass myself (well, Derry now). Personally, the issue of how long ago partition happened doesn't alter my opinion on my identity. My family didn't suddenly become British when one part of the island achieved independence from the UK. Also, I maintain that Northern Ireland is part of the UK - not Britain - which is further reasoning why we're not British here, unless people in every part of Ireland were British rather than Irish from 1800 - 1921? But if people want to call themselves British then I respect that. As for Graeme - he said in an interview he grew up wanting to play for Ireland. He also held the ulster banner at the Ryder cup (I think). AND he's from a mixed family (like myself). So maybe he feels an affinity with both the UK and Ireland - or just Northern Ireland - fair enough - more power to him.
I don't understand what you mean by "We couldny live together then and we couldnt live together now. So who gets remarried to the same person you couldnt stand the first time round." --- this doesn't make sense. There was never animosity or conflict between north and south. Pre partition, Irish unionists wanted the whole island to fight against home rule, they didn't campaign for partition. The conflicts between the people on this island have lay almost exclusively in Ulster for the last 400 years because of the plantations - partition solidified that. Our connection to the south was never the source of any discord or bloodshed.
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allan07 | Jun 21, 2011, 05:19 PM EDT
I disagree with the comments thats Graeme McDowell is Irish to the core. Hes NORTHERN Irish to the core. I bet you he doesnt have a Irish Passport. Hes the same as me NORTHERN IRISH, BRITISH. End off.
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allan07 | Jun 21, 2011, 05:16 PM EDT
Having been born and rared in Tyrone Northen Ireland I will always believe that I am British. If pushed I would say I am Northern Irish but never Irish. Sorry but i am truthful. Lets face it the partition of Ireland happened before my father was born. A long time ago. I likened the division of Ireland to a nasty divorce. It happened and we have moved on. We couldny live together then and we couldnt live together now. So who gets remarried to the same person you couldnt stand the first time round. Rory McElroy and Graeme McDowell are both happy to be from Northern Ireland. Rorys dad said to Rory after he won the US Open thats 2 winners from Northern Ireland son in a row. Great news. Its true so why should anyone be hurt by that. If Rorys dad is happy about it then thats great. Fanastic news for Our Wee Country. Cheers to both the US Open winners. I will be shouting both of you on in the next major. Perhaps Darren Clarke can win the next. Come on you heros.
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conchobhar | Jun 19, 2011, 10:18 PM EDT
Reminds me of a story the late Richard Harris used to tell.
When THIS SPORTING LIFE triumphed at Cannes and made a star of him the London papers headlined, "British Actor Wins Palme d'Or." The next week he was arrested, and the headlines were, "Irish Actor in Pub Brawl."
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