Rory McIlroy

[Lar]

Bit of an unfortunate thing that this has cropped up so soon. Nothing contradictory re McIlroy feeling British and proudly representing Ireland - the same probably goes for the majority of our rugby internationals from Ulster. Cricket too for that matter. I'm British too in the sense of being happy to be a UK citizen etc but unquestionably Irish when eg England come to Dublin for a rugby international or I'm at Twickenham.

Apologies for being pedantic, but people from the six counties are British subjects - unless they renouce such citizenship in favour of Ireland (a la James McLean). What they certainly are not is British. People from Britain (i.e. England, Scotland and Wales) are British.

If Rory feels British then good for him. I feel Jamaican every time I drink Lilt: 'Cha Rastafari!', I'm heard to say...

Sorry to be pedantic but you do realise that nobody has been a British subject since 1983 when Britain changed their citizenship laws? Rory McIlroy is a British citizen, not a subject.

I'm not sure what people mean when they say that nobody in the north is British. I realise that strictly speaking it is not part of Great Britain, but if British people move elsewhere (as in the plantations) then surely they remain British? If not, what would be the correct adjective for somebody living in the Channel Islands or the Falklands? Are they British (genuine question)?

Given your name and location are you not well placed to answer that question yourself?

[Vamos los azules]

Sorry to be pedantic but you do realise that nobody has been a British subject since 1983 when Britain changed their citizenship laws? Rory McIlroy is a British citizen, not a subject.

I'm not sure what people mean when they say that nobody in the north is British. I realise that strictly speaking it is not part of Great Britain, but if British people move elsewhere (as in the plantations) then surely they remain British? If not, what would be the correct adjective for somebody living in the Channel Islands or the Falklands? Are they British (genuine question)?

Re. the Channel Islands - the passport states British citizen. Not ever seen a Falkland Islands one so can't shed any light on that for you though.

[Hornet]

Sorry to be pedantic but you do realise that nobody has been a British subject since 1983

Not true.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/61

Section 31 states this:-

31 Continuance as British subjects of certain former citizens of Eire.

(1)A person is within this subsection if immediately before 1st January 1949 he was both a citizen of Eire and a British subject.

(2)A person within subsection (1) who immediately before commencement was a British subject by virtue of section 2 of the 1948 Act (continuance of certain citizens of Eire as British subjects) shall as from commencement be a British subject by virtue of this subsection.

(3)If at any time after commencement a citizen of the Republic of Ireland who is within subsection (1) but is not a British subject by virtue of subsection (2) gives notice in writing to the Secretary of State claiming to remain a British subject on either or both of the following grounds, namely—

(a)that he is or has been in Crown Service under the government of the United Kingdom; and

(b)that he has associations by way of descent, residence or otherwise with the United Kingdom or with any [F103British overseas territory] ,

he shall as from that time be a British subject by virtue of this subsection.
(4)A person who is a British subject by virtue of subsection (2) or (3) shall be deemed to have remained a British subject from 1st January 1949 to the time when (whether already a British subject by virtue of the said section 2 or not) he became a British subject by virtue of that subsection.

Those who fulfil the above criteria remain British Subjects until they die. They are not British Citizens.

[Sauvignon Blank]

what would be the correct adjective for somebody living in the the Falklands?

Chancers?

[Apocrypha]

Sorry to be pedantic but you do realise that nobody has been a British subject since 1983

Not true.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/61

Section 31 states this:-

31 Continuance as British subjects of certain former citizens of Eire.

(1)A person is within this subsection if immediately before 1st January 1949 he was both a citizen of Eire and a British subject.

(2)A person within subsection (1) who immediately before commencement was a British subject by virtue of section 2 of the 1948 Act (continuance of certain citizens of Eire as British subjects) shall as from commencement be a British subject by virtue of this subsection.

(3)If at any time after commencement a citizen of the Republic of Ireland who is within subsection (1) but is not a British subject by virtue of subsection (2) gives notice in writing to the Secretary of State claiming to remain a British subject on either or both of the following grounds, namely—

(a)that he is or has been in Crown Service under the government of the United Kingdom; and

(b)that he has associations by way of descent, residence or otherwise with the United Kingdom or with any [F103British overseas territory] ,

he shall as from that time be a British subject by virtue of this subsection.
(4)A person who is a British subject by virtue of subsection (2) or (3) shall be deemed to have remained a British subject from 1st January 1949 to the time when (whether already a British subject by virtue of the said section 2 or not) he became a British subject by virtue of that subsection.

Those who fulfil the above criteria remain British Subjects until they die. They are not British Citizens.

Trying to get any sense out of West-Brit on this subject is pointless.

He probably spends his weekends re-enacting scenes from The Irish R.M. and Strumpet City...

[Apocrypha]

what would be the correct adjective for somebody living in the the Falklands?

Chancers?

The Tans who bailed them out in '82, called them Bennys - after the character in Crossroads - because they were slightly retarded/delusional...Funny thing is that ol' Benny looked slightly like our/their Rory...

[mikerob]

what would be the correct adjective for somebody living in the Falklands?

Un malvinista?

[Hornet]

what would be the correct adjective for somebody living in the Falklands?

Un malvinista?

Penguin?

[Ulster's Best]

Citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are British by right. They may also actively claim Irish citizenship. Those of us who consider ourselves British and Irish do so in the same way as, for example, others consider themselves Scottish and British. Being British doesn't make us any less Irish than anyone who doesn't actively accept the concept of being British. Likewise my Irishness doesn't in any way make me any less of a proud Brit than those blinkered unionists up here who deny that they are Irish at all.

[fourthirtythree]

Sorry to be pedantic but you do realise that nobody has been a British subject since 1983 when Britain changed their citizenship laws? Rory McIlroy is a British citizen, not a subject.

?

No I didn't actually. Thanks for setting me straight.

That must be the path that led towards judicial review of HM governments laws and the human rights act. Where will it end?

[ellandleinster]

what would be the correct adjective for somebody living in the the Falklands?

Chancers?

The Tans who bailed them out in '82, called them Bennys - after the character in Crossroads - because they were slightly retarded/delusional...Funny thing is that ol' Benny looked slightly like our/their Rory...

The Tans were in the Falklands?? You learn something new everything day.

[ellandleinster]

Citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are British by right. They may also actively claim Irish citizenship. Those of us who consider ourselves British and Irish do so in the same way as, for example, others consider themselves Scottish and British. Being British doesn't make us any less Irish than anyone who doesn't actively accept the concept of being British. Likewise my Irishness doesn't in any way make me any less of a proud Brit than those blinkered unionists up here who deny that they are Irish at all.

well put

[ellandleinster]

How could anybody be annoyed about the way somebody feels about themselves?

As I've said above, it's entirely his prerogative. No-one is annoyed at him, nor should they be.

Anyone who stops supporting him as a result wasn't really supporting him in the first place, were they?

This is a point that is often made, but which I never quite understand. Are there not a whole host of sportsmen and sportswomen whom you support only, or at least to a greater extent, because they are Irish? Roy Keane is a bit of a pr!ck if we're being honest. If he were English or French or Senegalese, many of us would revile him as little more than a street thug, but I always wanted him to succeed because of his performances in a green jersey.

I've never really warmed to McIlroy on a personal level. Of the current batch of players from the island of Ireland, he's probably my least favourite in terms of personality and attitude. The only reason I would support him ahead of my favourite foreign players (e.g. Mickelson) derives from a sense of identity and national pride which I thought we had in common. I'm not saying that I now dislike the guy or anything like that, just that I won't be shouting for him the next time he goes down the stretch with someone like Phil.

Spot on tackle bag.

Rory is fully entiltled to his position obviously. But I for one would be very interested to hear why he feels more British than Irish.

[Peg Leg]

Spot on tackle bag.

Rory is fully entiltled to his position obviously. But I for one would be very interested to hear why he feels more British than Irish.

He's not so sure now

[jezzer]

Rory makes for interesting reading, but he should really think about what he says before he says it. Between the Ryder Cup, the Fed-Ex Cup and the Olympics he is flip-flopping more than a Gold Coast stoner.

[Sauvignon Blank]

Citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are British by right. They may also actively claim Irish citizenship. Those of us who consider ourselves British and Irish do so in the same way as, for example, others consider themselves Scottish and British. Being British doesn't make us any less Irish than anyone who doesn't actively accept the concept of being British. Likewise my Irishness doesn't in any way make me any less of a proud Brit than those blinkered unionists up here who deny that they are Irish at all.

I'm sorry but thats just nonsense.

Either sh!t on the pot or get off it ffs.

You Northern chaps are a confused lot. And I include the wee curly headed one in that. Digging himself a bigger hole again last night. Wonder are his advisors behind this and the fact he risks losing support from a lot of irish Americans.

Do us a favour Rory, declare for the Brits and end this nonsense now. You'll never ever come close to the status Padraig Harrington has in this country in the hearts of all Irish golfers and sports fans.

[Ulster's Best]

Sauvignon sounds like the sad guy with the Celtic shirt and placard protesting outside Croke Park before the first England game!

There's no problem at all - when I'm standing in Croke Park / Lansdowne Road / Twickenham, I have no identity crisis re my Irishness and GSTQ simply feels like the other team's anthem. But on other occasions I proudly stand for GSTQ as MY anthem. Having spent a small fortune over the past 15 years travelling to support the Irish rugby team and even recently Katie Taylor at the Olympics I will take no lectures re my Irishness from you. When she fought Jonas, though I wasn't there til the semi-final, I had no difficulty knowing who I was supporting. But I enthusiastically cheered most of the GB medal winners at London 2012. And of course all of us Irish cheered Nicola Adams on when she was fighting ahead of Katie.

We are who we are. The likes of you cannot have any part in dictating how anyone - be it me or Rory or whoever - feel about our identity.

[Sauvignon Blank]

Sauvignon sounds like the sad guy with the Celtic shirt and placard protesting outside Croke Park before the first England game!

'Arf, would that be the famous Ulster wit

I don't support Celtic or GAA. If that's your best riposte then I cringe for you. And you are obviously unaware that the picture you refer to has been proved as a fake/set-up?

There's no problem at all - when I'm standing in Croke Park / Lansdowne Road / Twickenham, I have no identity crisis re my Irishness and GSTQ simply feels like the other team's anthem. But on other occasions I proudly stand for GSTQ as MY anthem.

If that floats your boat being a British subject then fine. But it is a confusing state of affairs.

Having spent a small fortune over the past 15 years travelling to support the Irish rugby team and even recently Katie Taylor at the Olympics I will take no lectures re my Irishness from you. When she fought Jonas, though I wasn't there til the semi-final, I had no difficulty knowing who I was supporting. But I enthusiastically cheered most of the GB medal winners at London 2012. And of course all of us Irish cheered Nicola Adams on when she was fighting ahead of Katie.

We are who we are. The likes of you cannot have any part in dictating how anyone - be it me or Rory or whoever - feel about our identity.

I don't dictate anything, and specifically to you. I merely point out. And spending a small fortune following a sporting event doesn't make you anymore Irish. It just proves you like spending a small fortune following sport/events.

Despite what Bertie Aherne and Tony Blair would like us to believe, an important facet of 'Identity' is not just obviously what you are but also crucially what you are not.

Go figure.

[deco]

I'm not sure what people mean when they say that nobody in the north is British. I realise that strictly speaking it is not part of Great Britain, but if British people move elsewhere (as in the plantations) then surely they remain British? If not, what would be the correct adjective for somebody living in the Channel Islands or the Falklands? Are they British (genuine question)?

By your logic, should they not be Scottish?

[Scrum 5]

Citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are British by right. They may also actively claim Irish citizenship. Those of us who consider ourselves British and Irish do so in the same way as, for example, others consider themselves Scottish and British. Being British doesn't make us any less Irish than anyone who doesn't actively accept the concept of being British. Likewise my Irishness doesn't in any way make me any less of a proud Brit than those blinkered unionists up here who deny that they are Irish at all.

well put

+1