Will Rory McIlroy declare for Britain or Ireland in 2016 Olympics? -- Both Irish and British likely to claim golf’s hottest superstar
Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at 08:08 AM
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| Northern Irish world champion golfer Rory McIlroy |
As a Catholic reared in Northern Ireland, Rory has come under intense scrutiny for his political views.
His grand uncle was murdered in The Troubles by Loyalist paramilitaries but McIlroy has never discussed it.
McIlroy has avoided all political discussion. The only incident of note came when some nationalists claimed he brushed off an Irish tricolor that was thrown at him after his 2011 win at the US Open but the video is inconclusive to say the least.
His compatriot and fellow golf major winner Graeme McDowell, who is a Protestant, gets no such scrutiny as it is widely accepted he will play with Britain.
But Rory will have a more difficult decision to make. Catholic athletes in the main declare for the Irish Republic but Rory has made it clear he considers himself Northern Irish first and his website reflects that with the red hand of Ulster flag.
But does he think of himself as more British than Irish? That will be the big question come 2016 when he should be on top of the world.
Just two years ago when asked, Rory said it would be Great Britain and Northern Ireland if he made the cut. But in 2008 he played for Ireland in the golf World Cup.
But more recently he says he doesn't know.
"Basically, if I am going to be very honest, which I usually am, whatever I say is going to upset someone," he said. "So I may as well just say I don't know and wait until four or five years' time, whenever I have to make a decision."
He holds a British passport and it is unknown if he has an Irish one.
He has succeeded in making his religion a non-issue – most Northern Irish people know which religion someone is right away --- but for many years people were unsure of what religion McIlroy was.
A New York Times profile of him by Niall Stanage referred to that very fact, saying it was an extraordinary achievement by McIlroy in his own right in having both sides cheer equally for him.
Fellow major winner Padraig Harrington may have had it right when he suggested Rory definitely declare for Britain, thereby making room for another Irish guy on the Irish team.
"I’m fascinated with all this conversation about who we declare for. If Rory and Graeme declare for Great Britain, it means we get two more Irish guys into it. So if somebody wants Rory to be as Irish as he can be, he better declare for GB and we get two more guys in."
Sounds like a plan for a lot of people.
His agent says Rory is no hurry to deal with it. "Rory hasn't even thought about the 2016 Olympics," said Conor Ridge, "It's four years away and God knows where he's going to be in his career at that time.
"He's 23 now and will be 27 when Rio comes round, so it's not even something to discuss at this stage," said Ridge of the Dublin sports management firm Horizon, which represents McIlroy and Graeme McDowell. See more: Irish in Golf
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warrenpoint00 | Aug 16, 2012, 06:36 PM EDT
Of course the UNeill,s were not kings Fergan.The Proud Shane a king (ha,ha now thats funny)warriors certainly. Kings and queens were and are products of the mindset of the foreign british invader..The UNeill clan were merely every day folks just like us their descendants here in Ulster, trying to protect our way of life and our culture from that same maruding foreign british oppressor.Very simple. Uladh is Irish all nine counties of it as is the red hand of the province of Ulster, Sean O Shea you should know better.
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citizen69 | Aug 16, 2012, 05:47 PM EDT
Wrong again misneac... Ulster rugby players do not play for Ireland "when it suits". Ireland is the ONLY national team they play for. As for your other stupid statement about McIlroy, you only have to do a Google image search to see Rory wearing green several times in the last year or so while playing in tournaments.
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misneac | Aug 16, 2012, 02:12 PM EDT
Citizen69 obviously does not know how golf is administered in Ireland . All amateur golf on the island of Ireland is governed by the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) . Every member of a club contributes annually to the GUI .These monies are used in part to coach promising golfers ,male and female .Where they come from does not matter ,so it is nonsense to state that the Ulster Branch solely paid to coach Mc Ilroy ,we all contributed .No golfer in England contributed a single pound/euro ! My main point is that these people in Northern Ireland play rugby /golf for "Ireland " when it suits . You will note also that Mc Ilroy never wears any golf gear with the colour green ! Like all of them he is British when he wins ,and Irish when he loses .
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citizen69 | Aug 16, 2012, 01:33 AM EDT
@EamonnDublin: I was merely replying to Misneac who was suggesting that Ireland had spent a lot of money on getting Rory to where he is today, and that somehow he is biting the hand that fed him, which is nonsense.
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Fergananim | Aug 15, 2012, 11:32 PM EDT
@warrenpoint00 - just for the record, not a single member of the Uí Néill were kings of Ulad. Its rulers were members of the Dál Fiatach and Dál nAraidi, who were deadly enemies of the Uí Néill.
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Fergananim | Aug 15, 2012, 11:24 PM EDT
@curtisjohnson - how old, exactly? And what exactly does it symbolise?
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curtisjohnson | Aug 15, 2012, 09:40 PM EDT
Yes, the red hand is a much more ancient cultural symbol than anything else which survives in Europe. It pre-dates not only the contrived "britain" monstrosity but also the anglo-saxons invasions from Germany.
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warrenpoint00 | Aug 15, 2012, 09:17 PM EDT
To Gregshox. Your history lesson.RE The flag of Ulster proud province of Ireland. Our flag bears the symbol of all the Uneill clan not just Aodh.As guardians of Uladh for centuries the Uneill are entited to that symbolic right.The flag of Ulster red hand and all is ALL Irish it has absolutely nothing in common with british , it has been there in time long, long before the british invader.Sean O shea take note please.
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BrianO | Aug 15, 2012, 03:17 PM EDT
I'm confused this article has an Irish interest as its base.
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EamonnDublin | Aug 15, 2012, 03:11 PM EDT
"Citizen69" - Reducing the question of Rory McIlroy's representing Ireland or the UK down to MONEY??!!?? That's in extremely bad taste! Next you'll be asking your Mum for $5,000 in order that you say that you are her son, instead of somebody else's son. Have a bit of decorum, my good man! Éamonn, Dublin.
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EamonnDublin | Aug 15, 2012, 03:05 PM EDT
"Murph46" - thanks for response. BTW, I wasn't being "peculiar" or getting at you. I was just making the point that when one is actually from a geographical area/country, then one does indeed care what others call it, especially when there is a political reason behind it. You followed the norm - you are indifferent to what different parts of Britain/Ireland are actually called, but it seems to have scratched the surface when part of the United States' pedigree is called into question - because you are FROM the USA, or living in it. Because writing/reading is different to face to face chat, I want to make it abundantly clear that I am not taking you to task, just making the point as to why we care. Best Wishes - and enjoy your visit when you're here. Éamonn, Dublin.
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Fergananim | Aug 15, 2012, 02:53 PM EDT
Hopefully he'll be a credit to himself and his people, whichever passport he chooses to use.
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citizen69 | Aug 15, 2012, 12:32 PM EDT
@Misneac: So how much money did the Republic of Ireland put into Rory McIlroy? None! You make it sound like money from the four corners of Ireland was diverted north to coach Rory. He was coached by his dad and later by the Holywood club Professional in Northern Ireland, which his family paid for. IF there was any money paid towards training of coaching staff at Holywood G.C. by the GUI it would have come from the local Ulster Branch. SO what makes you think he owes any debt to Team Ireland?
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Murph46 | Aug 15, 2012, 12:13 PM EDT
EamonDublin-I accept your 100,000 welcomes,but might disagree with your colinization by Mexicans,that seems to be a Brit word! Ha!
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