Rory McIlroy has shown his true colours with national anthem admission ahead of Olympics

Rory McIlroy, the four-time major golf champion, has candidly admitted that he does not know the words to the Irish national anthem. This confession came ahead of the Olympics, where McIlroy, who has represented Ireland throughout his career, chose to compete for Team Ireland.

McIlroy made his Olympic debut in Tokyo 2021, narrowly missing out on a medal in the bronze playoff. Despite competing against seven other golfers for third place, he couldn’t secure a win, with Xander Schauffele taking gold for Team USA.

The Northern Irishman, born in County Down, avoided an awkward situation by admitting beforehand that he wouldn’t have known the words to the Irish anthem ‘Amhran na bhFiann’ had he won a medal. McIlroy is eligible to represent both Ireland and Great Britain at the Olympics.

Reflecting on his past, McIlroy expressed frustration over the debate regarding his national allegiance. In 2016, he shared his feelings about the intense scrutiny he faced: “All of a sudden it put me in a position where I had to question who I am. Who am I? Where am I from? Where do my loyalties lie? Who am I going to play for? Who do I not want to upset the most? I started to resent it. And I do. I resent the Olympic Games because of the position it put me in. That’s my feelings toward it. And whether that’s right or wrong, that’s how I feel.”

He also revealed his discomfort with national anthems: “I said, ‘Justin, if I had been on the podium listening to the Irish national anthem as that flag went up, or the British national anthem as that flag went up, I would have felt uncomfortable either way’. I don’t know the words to either anthem. I don’t feel a connection to either flag. I don’t want it to be about flags. I’ve tried to stay away from that.”

Ultimately, his decision to represent Ireland at the Tokyo Olympics was influenced by his past experiences representing the nation at junior and amateur levels. McIlroy explained, “As I said, once I left trying not to upset anyone aside, then it was actually a pretty easy decision.”