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

[saffron sam2]

The problem with being a windup merchant is that, on occasion, one ends up looking like a buffoon.

The 6 Cos has no official flag (nor is it a State ) nowadays so that flag has no official standing.

'Flower of Scotland' isn't the official anthem of Scotland, but it does the job quite well because of its popularity with a majority of the people there.

State / country / territory / region / etc / etc...
Call it what you want, makes no difference to my point.
(btw, is the republic still a 'state', or does it count as a region of Germany these days?)

You would assume that the last forty years, indeed  the entire post-partition era would have taught you something.

The RUC was popular with the majority here.
So was the UDR.
And the B Specials.
And gerrymandering.
And non-universal suffrage.
And job discrimination.
Etc.

In the possible event of a nationalist majority in the north, would the tricolour be an appropriate flag for the region?

PS Congratulations to Rory on his award. An utterly irrelevant anachronism.

[Nally Stand]

Christ this stuff is depressing. Mediaeval prejudices and blind superstitions from the dark ages being presented as debating points in the second decade of the 21st century. When will it end? Will the great-grandchildren of the unbending dogmatists here still be applying sixteenth-century labels to each other on the gaaboard of 2112?

Probably.

Which countries will ye have handed Irish sovereignty to between now and then I wonder.

How very apropos, coming from a drum-banger for "Brits Out (unless we get our spawgs under the table of power)".

As opposed to your 'Brits Out Germans In (but still be a little bit british)' version?

[Hardy]

HQ not back from holidays yet?

[All of a Sludden]

Christ this stuff is depressing. Mediaeval prejudices and blind superstitions from the dark ages being presented as debating points in the second decade of the 21st century. When will it end? Will the great-grandchildren of the unbending dogmatists here still be applying sixteenth-century labels to each other on the gaaboard of 2112?

Probably.

Which countries will ye have handed Irish sovereignty to between now and then I wonder.

How very apropos, coming from a drum-banger for "Brits Out (unless we get our spawgs under the table of power)".

As opposed to your 'Brits Out Germans In (but still be a little bit british)' version?

Have you stopped fighting pandering to the British now in search of a united Ireland?

[trileacman]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/golf/2012/0105/mcilroyr.html

To be fair to Rory he hits the nail on the head.

"Basically whatever I say is going to upset someone. 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."

Alot a people out there who think they know exactly what Mc Ilroy shoud and shoudn't do.

[Nally Stand]

Christ this stuff is depressing. Mediaeval prejudices and blind superstitions from the dark ages being presented as debating points in the second decade of the 21st century. When will it end? Will the great-grandchildren of the unbending dogmatists here still be applying sixteenth-century labels to each other on the gaaboard of 2112?

Probably.

Which countries will ye have handed Irish sovereignty to between now and then I wonder.

How very apropos, coming from a drum-banger for "Brits Out (unless we get our spawgs under the table of power)".

As opposed to your 'Brits Out Germans In (but still be a little bit british)' version?

Have you stopped fighting pandering to the British now in search of a united Ireland?

bist du noch Anbiederung an Deutschland?

[All of a Sludden]

Typical Brit shinner. Answering a question with a question.

[Nally Stand]

Typical Brit shinner. Answering a question with a question.

Ich vermute, dass nicht Ihren Standards der deutschen Effizienz. Tut mir leid.

[trileacman]

Google translator getting a fierce workout this weather.

[Maguire01]

Problem is 90% at least don't want a shared future.

Where do you pull that figure from?

To my mind this shared future only seems to mean accepting a British Demention. Therefore when something as outrageous as an Irish Christmas Greeting is placed on Belfast City Hall we see really what a shared future is all about.

I wouldn't be looking to many of our politicians as an example when it comes to promoting a shared future. Many of them survive by playing the 'green vs orange' game. That doesn't mean everyone else has to follow them.

Until there really is parity of aspiration/nationality/esteem etc people like McIlroy will always be seen as sellouts.

Only by people who have a problem with someone who doesn't follow a narrow definition of what someone from a Catholic/Protestant background should do.

Don't know where to start here.

You could start with the basis for your '90%' claim.

[Maguire01]

McIlroy as a succesful person from a similar background has simply pulled the ladder up behind him and accepted that I and others are still slightly less than equal citizens.

You've lost the plot with this one.

What is his similar background? What ladder has he pulled up? What has he done that has stopped you from achieving your potential? How has he made you slightly less equal?

[Maguire01]

I just don't think at 22 he has done enough to merit such recognition and this was a politically expedient choice by Cameron.

Are you having a laugh? He's achieved more at 22 than most people will in their whole lives! He's number 2 in the world in his sport. He has already won a Major, breaking several records in doing so.

Absolute ba**s. He is well paid for hitting a round white ball around a field. He hasn't saved a life and there are numerous examples of his immature and arrogant attitude. Yes he undoubtedly talented at golf but his financial rewards far exceed any contribution he may make to society. I'm not in favour of civic awards of this nature but if we have to have them then they should be based on something with more substance than the sporting exploits of a 22 year old. In addition the British system is politically controlled and motivated by expediency.

He's an ambassador of UNICEF Ireland, just when we're mentioning contributions to society. But I don't see how why his 'financial rewards' should be held against him.

[stephenite]

Sure the Syrians can give him a medal, it would be just the same as an Indo sports award of the week (to the immature).

And getting upset about an award from our nearest neighbour is the height of maturity?

[Minder]

Some mental posts on this thread.

[armaghniac]

I am not upset. My contribution was that a principled person would not have accepted this award. I am perfectly aware that many people are amoral and I do not get upset about each and every one of these.