IT HASN’T GONE away you know.
A new Behaviour and Attitudes poll for The Sunday Times has shown that 54% of Irish people want Rory McIlroy to play for Ireland at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
McIlroy provoked outrage in some quarters when he told the Daily Mail in September that he “always felt more British than Irish.”
However, in an open letter to fans just a few days later, the World’s number one golfer attempted to diffuse the situation by insisting he had yet to take a decision on who he will represent at the Olympics.
The debate was reignited earlier this month when Olympic Council of Ireland president, Pat Hickey, announced that the Co. Down golfer could carry the Irish flag at the 2016 opening ceremony if he chose to play for Ireland.
This new poll, which sampled 971 Irish adults in early October, also found that just 12% feel McIlroy should play for Great Britain, while 8% think the 23-year-old should decide not to play at all.
One in four of those surveyed either didn’t know what McIroy should do or had no opinion.
