McIlroy Praises Support from People of Northern Ireland
In a review of his achievement-filled year, global player Rory McIlroy specifically noted the warmth and acceptance he received during the Open Championship held at Royal Portrush last July, where he finished in a tie for seventh place.
“I will never forget the reception I received at Portrush this year, even if I wasn’t able to win the Open,” McIlroy stated.
“The support I receive from my home country is a feeling that cannot be described, and so I would like to say thank you to every person in Northern Ireland for their support and belief in me, and for being with me on this journey.”
“It feels to me as if everyone has watched me grow up, and watched with me the highlights and the lowlights by my side.”
McIlroy added: “Home is always home, and it always will be; it is the place that shaped my character. When I go back home, it is the place where I feel completely at ease.”
“I don’t get back home as often as I would like, but I feel like I bring Northern Ireland with me wherever I go, and when I return home, there is a sense of belonging that I don’t feel anywhere else.”
Participating in the judging panel that decided the player’s award were Patrick McConville, winner of the All-Ireland Gaelic Football Championship; four-time Paralympic medalist Michael McKillop; Northern Ireland women’s football record appearance holder Julie Nelson; Ireland hockey record cap holder Shirley McCay; BBC Radio Executive Editor Paul Martin; and BBC Radio News Editor Thomas Kane.
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