Rory MacIlroy - Member of the order of the British Empire.

[muppet]

What exactly did Rory do to deserve an MBE?

Why is his efforts more deserving than Darren?

Anyway, if Rory wants to. bend the knee to Mrs Windsor and lick her arse then fair play to him. However there is no law against the rest of us giving our opinion.

Exactly.  It has taken five pages of nonsense before Orior points out that the emperor has no clothes.

Darren Clarke won the British Open and played a piviotal role in winning the Ryder Cup on more than one occasion though not always because of his golfing ability.  He has reached the effective end of his sporting career. Hence he is given an award.

McIlroy has won a golf major but he has joined the celebrity circuit and appears to be a golden boy for the British public.  Hence Cameron put Rory's name forward to the Palace for approval.  By the time the results of the BBC SPOTY revealed that Rory could only manage to get 3.5% of the vote, it was too late to withdraw the MBE.  On the night of the SPOTY awards even Rory was visibly shocked by his lack of public appeal, I am sure Cameron was also taken aback by the situation when he was just trying to create a feelgood factor while his country crumbles around him.

Just a theory.

Brilliant Sherlock. Rory is in fact the Grassy Knoll. Makes sense when you look at it:

[NetNitrate]

What is the fuss. Mcilroy since his amateur days has always represented Ireland. He even pulled out of US masters next year to play in his "national open". His words and he was not talking about british Open. And considering his fathers uncle was murdered for being a Catholic who moved into a Protestant neighborhood, some of the assumptions been made about him here are disgraceful.

[Oraisteach]

Sir Rory . . . . . . . . . . Gallagher, of course

[Hardy]

"Shared future" me arse. The mindless spewing of mediaeval catcalls like "Castle Catholic" and "sell out", etc. in reaction to the acceptance of a meaningless award by an exemplary sportsman shows that too many are intent on preserving a divided past to allow much hope for a shared future.

The simplest of tests is failed on the first question.

Preserve the hate. Teach our children to keep it alive for another century by not allowing anyone to dare to be different by even such a tiny amount as this. 

Happy New Year.

[Orior]

Hardy,

if we extrapolate your argument, then we should:

- banish all religions
- banish all political parties
- banish all cultures
- banish all football rivalries... banish all sports
- etcetera etcetera etcetera

Being different is good, spice of life and all that. But shared future me arse. Do I have to have the same desires and aspirations as Peter Protestant, Gregory O'Campbell, Liam (Willie) Frazer and Seamus (Jim) Alistar? I'd rather not if you please. The past few years have proved that we can live together, but retain our different aspirations for the future.

There are those that have decided that being british way is best. Fair play to them.

But why did Rory deserve an MBE?

[Maguire01]

Hardy,

if we extrapolate your argument, then we should:

- banish all religions
- banish all political parties
- banish all cultures
- banish all football rivalries... banish all sports
- etcetera etcetera etcetera

Being different is good, spice of life and all that. But shared future me arse. Do I have to have the same desires and aspirations as Peter Protestant, Gregory O'Campbell, Liam (Willie) Frazer and Seamus (Jim) Alistar? I'd rather not if you please. The past few years have proved that we can live together, but retain our different aspirations for the future.

There are those that have decided that being british way is best. Fair play to them.

But why did Rory deserve an MBE?

I think that misses Hardy's point. It's not about everybody being the same, but about respecting differences.

[Aerlik]

When Seamus Heaney got his Nobel prize were we all West Norwegians?

Considering where the Bard of Bellaghy comes from geographically, he would have more probable Norwegian/Viking links than Saxon!

[muppet]

When Seamus Heaney got his Nobel prize were we all West Norwegians?

Considering where the Bard of Bellaghy comes from geographically, he would have more probable Norwegian/Viking links than Saxon!

Now you are on to something. Genetically all of us on this Island have similar origins, despite the various ideologies and indeed history suggesting otherwise.

[fitzroyalty]

Firstly, an MBE is f**k all. You only have to look at the list of nobody's that are awarded them every year. It's not like you have to do anything overly spectacular to get one.

Secondly, some narrow-minded views on here, I wish some people would cop themselves on a bit, politics, identity, etc are becoming less and less relevant to younger generations and Rory is an excellent example of this.

Also this castle catholic stuff is bullshit, he came from nowhere, his ma and da worked their balls off cause they knew he was going to be big from he was a toddler, he just happened to grow up in a different environment than most people on this board did.

I bet if he spoke with a culchie Armagh/Tyrone/Derry accent or played a bit of underage GAA, there wouldn't be a peep about him.

[Orior]

'Me? I thought, OBE me? Up yours, I thought'

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

I agree. MacIlroy didn't sell this soul in this occassion, that happened some time ago.

True especially when he claims to be British and not Irish. Couldnt really understand the celebrations from Irish people on his major win and all that.

Find me a quote where he says he isn't Irish (and I don't mean the quote where he suggests he might represent UK in the Olympics which patently isn't the same thing). My understanding is that considers himself Northern Irish primarily and both Irish and British.

The reality would appear to be that he cares little for such petty squabbles as have marred this thread and considers them irrelevant to his life and career. And that is his right. Personally I wouldn't be willing to accept any such award but then I'm unlikely to be offered one. But I can fully understand why McIlroy would wish to accept the award and I'd have no desire to criticise him for doing so.

[cicfada]

What is the fuss. Mcilroy since his amateur days has always represented Ireland. He even pulled out of US masters next year to play in his "national open". His words and he was not talking about british Open. And considering his fathers uncle was murdered for being a Catholic who moved into a Protestant neighborhood, some of the assumptions been made about him here are disgraceful.

Mc Ilroy has pulled out of the AT&T National tournament being held in Congressional that is being played the same weekend as the Irish Open. The Masters is held in April every year and no golfer in the world would pull out of that tournament! That said I agree with your sentiments!!

[trileacman]

It's pretty clear that McIlroy isn't small-minded enough for many on this board.

[Nally Stand]

'Me? I thought, OBE me? Up yours, I thought'

Great article.

"Me, OBE? Whoever is behind this offer can never have read any of my work. Why don't they just give me some of those great African works of art that were taken in the name of the empire and let me return them to their rightful place?"

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

I couldn't get too exercised about either the donor or the acceptor of such an anachronistic piece of utter irrelevance as an 'award' from the British Rumpire.