McILroy Announces Who He Will Represent At the Olympics....

Ireland!!!

Another good day for Irish golf.

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/rory-mcilroy-olympics-ireland-1524016-Jun2014/

Still plenty of time for a u-turn.

I wonder if it is a coincidence that he waited till after Portrush was confirmed as a British Open venue to make this decision?

That will please the little greeting faced, bitter, small minded Irish men who were calling for him to be rationed of his starchy balls of carbohydrate if he picked GB.

Bit like choosing Fulham over Man City, but at least he's made his mind up.
Ireland might need to book two bus shelters for Irish Sports Personality of the Year that year.

Unsurprisingly you appear very bitter about the decision.

Your analogy would only be accurate if Fulham despite their limited resources were consistently winning more important tournaments than Man City.

I couldn't care less Guns. McIlroy can pick whoever he wants, I simply remember the furore a year or so back when the whole "controversy" came up and it was the vast majority of Irishmen who were deeply "upset" and "faux-fended" that he would even have a decision to make.
I can't recall a single Brit giving a toss about it.

A sport in which the likes of Lowry, De Jonge etc can play to a high level doesn't belong anywhere near the Olympics anyway and completely fails the olympic ideal.
Unless they rename it. Heavier, Fatter, More Unhealthy.

<insert extensive and sometimes abusive comments backwards and forwards about Ireland, sports, religion/spaghetti monsters, and pride here> EDIT - Oh, I see I might be a bit late

Fair play to him. He has the choice and has chosen. Maybe he wasn't confident of selection ahead of Faldo and Monty...

McDowell and Mcilroy or will Mcilowry and Mcharrington get the nod.

Will Lowry live that long?

super_realist wrote:I couldn't care less Guns. McIlroy can pick whoever he wants, I simply remember the furore a year or so back when the whole "controversy" came up and it was the vast majority of Irishmen who were deeply "upset" and "faux-fended" that he would even have a decision to make.
I can't recall a single Brit giving a toss about it.

A sport in which the likes of Lowry, De Jonge etc can play to a high level doesn't belong anywhere near the Olympics anyway and completely fails the olympic ideal.
Unless they rename it. Heavier, Fatter, More Unhealthy.

If you were being impartial you would acknowledge that there was just as much attention given from British quarters to the debacle Super.

In any case he has represented Ireland before on occasion so it would represent a switch if he now declared for Britain. Switches in any sport tend to cause a stir whether you like to admit it or not.

I dont think it should be an Olympic sport either.

Roller_Coaster wrote:<insert extensive and sometimes abusive comments backwards and forwards about Ireland, sports, religion/spaghetti monsters, and pride here> EDIT - Oh, I see I might be a bit late

Fair play to him. He has the choice and has chosen. Maybe he wasn't confident of selection ahead of Faldo and Monty...

McDowell and Mcilroy or will Mcilowry and Mcharrington get the nod.

Harrington will probably miss out.

GunsGerms wrote:

super_realist wrote:I couldn't care less Guns. McIlroy can pick whoever he wants, I simply remember the furore a year or so back when the whole "controversy" came up and it was the vast majority of Irishmen who were deeply "upset" and "faux-fended" that he would even have a decision to make.
I can't recall a single Brit giving a toss about it.

A sport in which the likes of Lowry, De Jonge etc can play to a high level doesn't belong anywhere near the Olympics anyway and completely fails the olympic ideal.
Unless they rename it. Heavier, Fatter, More Unhealthy.

If you were being impartial you would acknowledge that there was just as much attention given from British quarters to the debacle Super.

In any case he has represented Ireland before on occasion so it would refresent a switch if he now declared for Britain. Switches in any sport tend to cause a stir whether you like to admit it or not.


I dont think it should be an Olympic sport either.

As I recall Guns, there was far more wailing, hand wringing, whinging and gnashing of teeth from the Irish that McIlroy was being impudent enough to even consider he had a choice in the matter.

I don't recall anyone from the "Team GB" side caring which side he chose.

I don't/didn't care who he chose. He qualifies for both so it's up to him. I'm not going to show any hostility or synthetic outrage like many Irish did back when this whole issue started.

Glad it's finally over, and who knows where his game might be by then, but I suppose his chances of playing for Ireland are better than those of GB anyway. So he's hedging his bets cleverly.

Happy for himself he came to a decision. I think a lot of people would have supported him regardless really. I suppose in some ways like our rugby organisation the GUI is an All-Island thing and they did play a role in his development through sponsorship and what not as an amateur (I know that benefactors from GB certainly helped). It's probably being made into a far bigger deal then it deserves to be.

I'm not a huge fan of golf in the Olympics (with pros at least), not golfer is dreaming of winning Olympic gold, similar to a degree with Rugby and certainly tennis and football.

Can you give links to this "Irish outrage"? From what I seen the Irish said good luck to him when they thought he was choosing Team GB (of course you get the odd idiot but sure that is to be expected).

I really don't remember the Irish media slamming him in the press for it and he still gets a big following whenever he plays in the Irish open just like the other Irish golfers..

super_realist wrote:

Glad it's finally over, and who knows where his game might be by then, but I suppose his chances of playing for Ireland are better than those of GB anyway. So he's hedging his bets cleverly.

I reckon most people would agree he would more than likely make it into either team.

Up and down form throughout his career and when you've only got two spots to play for doesn't guarantee him a place in either, but given the lack of depth in irish golf I'd say he'd find it easier to get on their team.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Can you give links to this "Irish outrage"? From what I seen the Irish said good luck to him when they thought he was choosing Team GB (of course you get the odd idiot but sure that is to be expected).

I really don't remember the Irish media slamming him in the press for it and he still gets a big following whenever he plays in the Irish open just like the other Irish golfers..

I didn't say it was the Irish media, it was general comments on here and on other sports boards.

Qualification is based on rankings rather than selection and the greater the number of top ranked players means an increased team size, up to 4 I think, but most likely 2.

Harrington needs to play exceptionally well to move from the low 200s into the top 30-50 to stand half a chance of qualifying for Ireland. If players qualified today McIlroy's the top ranked player at 6 followed by McDowell at 22. Rose and Donald would represent Team GB ranked at 10 and 20 respectively.

super_realist wrote:Up and down form throughout his career and when you've only got two spots to play for doesn't guarantee him a place in either, but given the lack of depth in irish golf I'd say he'd find it easier to get on their team.

There is a bigger talent pool in the UK however he is more talented than any British golfer at the moment. I dont know how the two golfers will be picked. OWGR ranking points? If thats the case, sure maybe he could miss out but if if it is on talent and potential to win he would stroll into either team. He is also the highest ranked British and Irish golfer right now.

I think McIlroy's up and down form is due to getting caught up in non golf stuff. I feel he was over complicating his life but now that he seems to simplifying things again his form has improved.

Least he has decided now albeit he took his time, pretty pathetic that it can take so long to figure out which country you are going to play for, should be a 10 second decision.
Re golf not fitting the Olympic ideal, well this is part of the definition of Olympism -

"The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play."

People are forever banging on about how golf is largely self refereed, how it epitomises fair play compared to many other sports. Seems to me it fits the Olympic ideal just fine.

super_realist wrote:I didn't say it was the Irish media, it was general comments on here and on other sports boards.

Most such comments on here are just a reaction to your rehashed anti-anything Irish slurs. What do you expect?

Personally, I couldn't care less. It's entirely up to him.

I read he said that if there was a NI team he would have represented that, but isnt the Gb team actually called GB & NI. So there is already a NI team.

beninho wrote:I read he said that if there was a NI team he would have represented that, but isnt the Gb team actually called GB & NI. So there is already a NI team.

Sure thats the same as the Ireland team which also includes Northern Irish athletes. There isnt a Republic of Ireland team.

GunsGerms wrote:

beninho wrote:I read he said that if there was a NI team he would have represented that, but isnt the Gb team actually called GB & NI. So there is already a NI team.

Sure thats the same as the Ireland team which also includes Northern Irish athletes. There isnt a Republic of Ireland team.

?

Ireland includes NI and ROI the same as GB and NI includes GB and NI.

I played my amateur golf for Ireland. Just because I’m getting paid to play this great game now doesn’t mean I should change that.

And this is relevant why ...

Hmm, not sure that's quite the same. ROI doesn't have any constitutional connections with NI does it? The team is ROI but Ireland accepts Irish passport holders which you can have if you live in NI.
The GB team actually includes NI because we are all part of the same country, governed ultimately by the same people.

Agree with that Diggers.

Still, I'm glad that north and south irish were able to come to an agreement to at least compete together.

Diggers wrote:Hmm, not sure that's quite the same. ROI doesn't have any constitutional connections with NI does it? The team is ROI but Ireland accepts Irish passport holders which you can have if you live in NI.
The GB team actually includes NI because we are all part of the same country, governed ultimately by the same people.

There are of course constitutional connections, they are laid out in the good friday agreement.

NI is a seperate soverign state to ROI though which is what I think you are getting at?

That hardly matters though as the Irish Olympic council, the IRFU and GUI etc. all effectively span two seperate countries.

GunsGerms wrote:

Diggers wrote:Hmm, not sure that's quite the same. ROI doesn't have any constitutional connections with NI does it? The team is ROI but Ireland accepts Irish passport holders which you can have if you live in NI.
The GB team actually includes NI because we are all part of the same country, governed ultimately by the same people.

There are of course constitutional connections, they are laid out in the good friday agreement.

Sorry but you have made a total apples and oranges comparison. Look at the English cricket team, we let anyone with an English passport play. That's exactly the case with the ROI athletics squad (or indeed the English athletics team, for example Shana Proctor).
There is a ROI team and there is a GB and NI team.

Diggers wrote:
Sorry but you have made a total apples and oranges comparison. Look at the English cricket team, we let anyone with an English passport play. That's exactly the case with the ROI athletics squad (or indeed the English athletics team, for example Shana Proctor).
There is a ROI team and there is a GB and NI team.

No I didnt. It was stated simply that team GB includes NI therefore there is already an NI team. The fact is so does the Irish Olympic team.

Absolutely nothing apples and oranges about that.

There is no such thing as the ROI olympics team. Its the Irish Olympics council which covers two jurisdictions.

Diggers wrote: Look at the English cricket team, we let anyone with an English passport play. That's exactly the case with the ROI athletics squad (or indeed the English athletics team, for example Shana Proctor).
There is a ROI team and there is a GB and NI team.

Hilarious, you made a complete apples and oranges comparison. The English cricket team lets anyone with a passport play for England rather than anyone with an English passport.

Rubbish, its an ROI team...that's what its called...that accepts anyone with a Irish passport.
There is nowhere at the Olympics where you will see ROI including NI. Same as you wont see GB and NI plus Americans with UK passports.
You seem to be making some kind of special relationship between ROI and NI that is actually exactly what all countries do anyway.

GunsGerms wrote:

Diggers wrote: Look at the English cricket team, we let anyone with an English passport play. That's exactly the case with the ROI athletics squad (or indeed the English athletics team, for example Shana Proctor).
There is a ROI team and there is a GB and NI team.

Hilarious, you made a complete apples and oranges comparison. The English cricket team lets anyone with a passport play for England rather than anyone with an English passport.

Hmm, apart from the fact they do actually need a UK passport don't you. Which is fact you've omitted. The only relevant point really. Strewth.
Just like to compete for Ireland....you just need an Irish passport......which you can get any one of a thousand ways.....not just by being from NI.

Diggers wrote:Rubbish, its an ROI team...that's what its called...that accepts anyone with a Irish passport.
There is nowhere at the Olympics where you will see ROI including NI. Same as you wont see GB and NI plus Americans with UK passports.
You seem to be making some kind of special relationship between ROI and NI that is actually exactly what all countries do anyway.

Diggers where have you ever seen an Irish Olympic team referred to as the ROI olympic team?

I dont think Rory McIlroy even has an Irish password.

Diggers wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

Diggers wrote: Look at the English cricket team, we let anyone with an English passport play. That's exactly the case with the ROI athletics squad (or indeed the English athletics team, for example Shana Proctor).
There is a ROI team and there is a GB and NI team.

Hilarious, you made a complete apples and oranges comparison. The English cricket team lets anyone with a passport play for England rather than anyone with an English passport.

Hmm, apart from the fact they do actually need a UK passport don't you. Which is fact you've omitted. The only relevant point really. Strewth.
Just like to compete for Ireland....you just need an Irish passport......which you can get any one of a thousand ways.....not just by being from NI.

Eoin Morgan and Ed Joyce dont have UK passports. Does KP?

Also McIlroy has in the past said "I'm Northern Irish, I hold a British passport"

I dont think he even has an Irish passport.

I wonder if South Sudan will let their athletes choose? It rhymes on 'Sudan' doesn't it?

GunsGerms wrote:

Diggers wrote:Rubbish, its an ROI team...that's what its called...that accepts anyone with a Irish passport.
There is nowhere at the Olympics where you will see ROI including NI. Same as you wont see GB and NI plus Americans with UK passports.
You seem to be making some kind of special relationship between ROI and NI that is actually exactly what all countries do anyway.

Diggers where have you ever seen an Irish Olympic team referred to as the ROI olympic team?

I dont think Rory McIlroy even has an Irish password.

So what is it, Eire? I know what I've never seen it as and that's a unified Ireland. What about all of the guys who have played football for Ireland, Lawro and Townsend. Is that any different to the English cricket team?

The Irish olympic team does represent all of Ireland. That is why there have been many, many NI athletes who have represented Ireland at the olympics.

Diggers wrote:
So what is it, Eire? I know what I've never seen it as and that's a unified Ireland. What about all of the guys who have played football for Ireland, Lawro and Townsend. Is that any different to the English cricket team?

Who cares about football, dire sport. That has nothing to do with the debate we are having.

You dont need an Irish passport or an English passport to play rugby for Ireland or England either for example you just have to live there for 3 years or in the case of Ireland you just have to be Irish or Northern Irish.

I very much doubt Andrew Trimble for example has an Irish passport. I may be wrong though. Davie Tweed who played rugby for Ireland definitely didnt.

He is the most unlikely person ever to wear an Irish jersey:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Tweed

I care about football and I was merely stating that the English cricket side you mocked just do what the Irish football side do all the time.
There are lots of caveats for people representing other nations (KP is a British passport holder), you cant just be Northern Irish and just because Rory seems to want to be that doesn't make it so. GB and NI is the team name. He's just opting out of being British and representing Ireland.
Apparently now because his brother has kids in Ireland he feels Irish rather than British. Whatever Rory.

Diggers wrote:I care about football and I was merely stating that the English cricket side you mocked just do what the Irish football side do all the time.
There are lots of caveats for people representing other nations (KP is a British passport holder), you cant just be Northern Irish and just because Rory seems to want to be that doesn't make it so. GB and NI is the team name. He's just opting out of being British and representing Ireland.
Apparently now because his brother has kids in Ireland he feels Irish rather than British. Whatever Rory.

I hardly mocked them Diggers. It is true what I said. Anyway, I have always supported England (except v Ireland) in cricket. My whole family does and I have been to Edgebaston and the SCG in Sydney to see matches. I went to one of the few schools in Ireland that plays cricket but still know very little about the game.

Im not too concerned if McIlroy considers himself as Northern Irish only. There is a large population of people who do in NI which is understandable.

It is a fact though whatever spin you want to put on it that Northern Irish people regardless of what passport they hold can represent Ireland or Britain in a variety of different sports.

Fair enough, I can see the difference now. I've had a look at the Olympic classification and it sort of vaguely, loosely says it sees Ireland as being the Island rather than the State, which I personally think is bizarre but there you go. I bow to your superior knowledge.

Diggers wrote:Fair enough, I can see the difference now. I've had a look at the Olympic classification and it sort of vaguely, loosely says it sees Ireland as being the Island rather than the State, which I personally think is bizarre but there you go. I bow to your superior knowledge.

It is a little bizzare but the whole history of NI is absolutely bizarre if you think about it so it is at least consistent.

GunsGerms wrote:

Diggers wrote:Fair enough, I can see the difference now. I've had a look at the Olympic classification and it sort of vaguely, loosely says it sees Ireland as being the Island rather than the State, which I personally think is bizarre but there you go. I bow to your superior knowledge.

It is a little bizzare but the whole history of NI is absolutely bizarre if you think about it so it is at least consistent.

I can't argue with that. Out of interest Guns, if there were to be a similar Yes/No referendum in NI now any indications as to what the outcome would be? I remember reading years ago it wouldn't be that long before NI had a Catholic majority, no that I'd imagine religion would be the sole reason to vote one way or the other.

Heres how I think the vote would go:

In Britain: vote for it to be returned to Ireland
In Ireland: vote for it to remain part of Britain or very close.
In NI: To remain part of Britain.

It isnt as simple as all catholics wanting to be part of Ireland. A large proportion of them want to be part of Britain.

Mcilroy is Catholic himself I think. Crime, ignornace and poverty are as much to blame as religious divides these days I reckon.

The romantic side of me would like to see it be part of Ireland again but my fear is that this would only make the rioting and the troubles even worse and Ireland couldnt afford the massive financial cost and negative impact on business and tourism that it could bring.

This is all pie in the sky as Im not an authority on the subject but just my hunch.

Must say I am shocked by this. I suppose it gives us a better chance of winning a medal haha!

Diggers wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

Diggers wrote: Look at the English cricket team, we let anyone with an English passport play. That's exactly the case with the ROI athletics squad (or indeed the English athletics team, for example Shana Proctor).
There is a ROI team and there is a GB and NI team.

Hilarious, you made a complete apples and oranges comparison. The English cricket team lets anyone with a passport play for England rather than anyone with an English passport.

Hmm, apart from the fact they do actually need a UK passport don't you. Which is fact you've omitted. The only relevant point really. Strewth.
Just like to compete for Ireland....you just need an Irish passport......which you can get any one of a thousand ways.....not just by being from NI.

Ask Tony Cascarino, he got an Oirish Passport by having a pint of guiness 

On the Irish divide thing, I'm not entirely sure what NI brings to the Union and why the UK is so keen to hold on to it?

On the British Open being held there in Portrush, how will all the religiously indoctrinated halfwitted, knuckle dragging bigots take to something with "British" in the name being held there? (I know it's "The Open" but the British element is used everywhere)

Never ceases to amaze how, when any topic including ROI, NI, GB and the complex relationship comes up, the debate takes off like wildfire.

I sincerely hope it (independence) won't happen but if the Jock's living at home cast their votes the wrong way I wonder if we'll be having a similar debate in a few years time about who a young golfer will represent e.g. from Scottish parentage living in England. Mind you I suppose we have that now with Commonwealth games representation.

super_realist wrote:
Ask Tony Cascarino, he got an Oirish Passport by having a pint of guiness 

On the Irish divide thing, I'm not entirely sure what NI brings to the Union and why the UK is so keen to hold on to it?

On the British Open being held there in Portrush, how will all the religiously indoctrinated halfwitted, knuckle dragging bigots take to something with "British" in the name being held there? (I know it's "The Open" but the British element is used everywhere)

I doubt that the majority will care just how no one cares that our national lifeboat organisation is still called the Royal National Lifeboat Institution or any of the many number of remnants from British rule in Ireland.

For a person that loves to preach about how backward Ireland is maybe you should listen to your countryman and government policy advisor Simon Anholt who claims that Ireland makes the greatest contribution to humanity than any other country in the world. www.goodcountry.org.

Any idiot can focus on the seedier side of any country to fuel their bigoted agendas. It takes someone willing to educate themselves on the full facts to understand the bigger picture.

I can't think of anything which makes Ireland a better country than any other, and even if I could I wasn't denying any of the undoubtable good things that may occur or come out of there.
I was simply pointing out the rapid anti Britishness which is as childish as it is stupid.

super_realist wrote:I can't think of anything which makes Ireland a better country than any other, and even if I could I wasn't denying any of the undoubtable good things that may occur or come out of there.
I was simply pointing out the rapid anti Britishness which is as childish as it is stupid.

Maybe if Ireland interests you so much as it clearly does you should educate yourself on it a little more then. Read the link I sent you for a start. There are lots of things that Ireland rank higher than the UK on for example.

Rapid? Surely you can understand that an element of anti-Britishness is inevitable when British rule in Northern Ireland up until recently has been such a massive failure? Even the proudest British person must surely be able to acknowledge that. The Queen on her recent visit to Dublin did.

I was on holidays in Tenerife recently. The place was full of tattooed British punters on their low fares holidays. If I didnt already have a lot of friends, family and colleagues from England etc. I may be excused for thinking that English people are some of the dumbest most ignorant people on the planet. The point I'm making is that both Britain and Ireland are full of louts but also full of ordinary decent people too.

Your comments re Ireland and Irish people reveal more about you than any reality over here.