section_path: Personal life
section_name: Personal life
paragraph_text: Personal life
  
  McIlroy was raised Catholic and has self-identified as Irish, Northern Irish, and British. He carries a British passport, although he usually is reluctant to discuss his nationality at length. During the Troubles, McIlroy's granduncle Joe McIlroy was shot to death by the Ulster Volunteer Force in a sectarian attack at his home in November 1972, after he moved his Catholic family into the predominantly-Protestant area of Orangefield, Belfast. Despite this family trauma, McIlroy's parents refused to become embittered. McIlroy attended a mixed school that was majority Protestant and stated his Catholic background "was never an issue". Regarding the Troubles, McIlroy said in 2012: "I haven't talked about it with my parents. I don’t want to be defined by that. It’s not how my generation thinks."
  
  As golf was named an Olympic sport for the first time since 1904 at the 2016 Summer Olympics, McIlroy was regularly questioned whether he would represent Great Britain or Ireland. He stated in 2013: "I feel Northern Irish and obviously being from Northern Ireland you have a connection to Ireland and a connection to the UK. If I could and there was a Northern Irish team I'd play for Northern Ireland. Play for one side or the other – or not play at all because I may upset too many people... Those are my three options I'm considering very carefully." On the eve of the 2014 Irish Open, he declared that he would represent Ireland at the Olympics.
  
  In 2009, McIlroy bought a house in Moneyreagh, a small village south of Belfast. The house sat on a 13-acre plot of land, where he had a custom-made practice facility and a scaled-down association football pitch. McIlroy hired security guards for the property after he won the 2011 U.S. Open, as the increased attention led to strangers driving up his driveway. He said he began to feel like he was living in a goldfish bowl. In September 2012, the house was put up for sale for a price of £2 million. In December 2012, McIlroy purchased a $10-million property in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, located close to Jack Nicklaus ' Bear's Club. McIlroy has also maintained residences in Monaco and Dubai. In 2024, McIlroy took delivery of a Gulfstream G650ER, a private jet. He previously owned a Bombardier Challenger 605.
  
  McIlroy is a fan of Manchester United F.C. Following his 2014 Open Championship win at Royal Liverpool, he made reference to his support for Liverpool's rivals during his acceptance speech, prompting light-hearted boos from the crowd. McIlroy is also a fan of the Northern Ireland national team. In his spare time, he plays football himself. McIlroy injured his ankle ligaments in 2015, while playing with friends, forcing him to withdraw from the 2015 Open Championship, but later stated he would not give up playing football. McIlroy is a fan of Ulster Rugby and has interrupted his busy golf schedule to attend matches at Ravenhill Stadium in Belfast. McIlroy said in 2023 that he is a fan of the Buffalo Bills, as his wife Erica is originally from Irondequoit, New York. McIlroy stated: "It certainly makes it easier to root for the Bills when Josh Allen is throwing the football."
  
  In 2018, McIlroy appeared on an episode of Amazon Prime show The Grand Tour, racing against Paris Hilton in the "Celebrity Face-Off" segment of the show. McIlroy featured in the sports documentary series Full Swing, which premiered on Netflix in 2023. McIlroy made a cameo appearance in the 2025 film Happy Gilmore 2, a sequel to Happy Gilmore (1996).
  
  McIlroy was raised Catholic and has self-identified as Irish, Northern Irish, and British. He carries a British passport, although he usually is reluctant to discuss his nationality at length. During the Troubles, McIlroy's granduncle Joe McIlroy was shot to death by the Ulster Volunteer Force in a sectarian attack at his home in November 1972, after he moved his Catholic family into the predominantly-Protestant area of Orangefield, Belfast. Despite this family trauma, McIlroy's parents refused to become embittered. McIlroy attended a mixed school that was majority Protestant and stated his Catholic background "was never an issue". Regarding the Troubles, McIlroy said in 2012: "I haven't talked about it with my parents. I don’t want to be defined by that. It’s not how my generation thinks."
  
  As golf was named an Olympic sport for the first time since 1904 at the 2016 Summer Olympics, McIlroy was regularly questioned whether he would represent Great Britain or Ireland. He stated in 2013: "I feel Northern Irish and obviously being from Northern Ireland you have a connection to Ireland and a connection to the UK. If I could and there was a Northern Irish team I'd play for Northern Ireland. Play for one side or the other – or not play at all because I may upset too many people... Those are my three options I'm considering very carefully." On the eve of the 2014 Irish Open, he declared that he would represent Ireland at the Olympics.
  
  In 2009, McIlroy bought a house in Moneyreagh, a small village south of Belfast. The house sat on a 13-acre plot of land, where he had a custom-made practice facility and a scaled-down association football pitch. McIlroy hired security guards for the property after he won the 2011 U.S. Open, as the increased attention led to strangers driving up his driveway. He said he began to feel like he was living in a goldfish bowl. In September 2012, the house was put up for sale for a price of £2 million. In December 2012, McIlroy purchased a $10-million property in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, located close to Jack Nicklaus ' Bear's Club. McIlroy has also maintained residences in Monaco and Dubai. In 2024, McIlroy took delivery of a Gulfstream G650ER, a private jet. He previously owned a Bombardier Challenger 605.
  
  McIlroy is a fan of Manchester United F.C. Following his 2014 Open Championship win at Royal Liverpool, he made reference to his support for Liverpool's rivals during his acceptance speech, prompting light-hearted boos from the crowd. McIlroy is also a fan of the Northern Ireland national team. In his spare time, he plays football himself. McIlroy injured his ankle ligaments in 2015, while playing with friends, forcing him to withdraw from the 2015 Open Championship, but later stated he would not give up playing football. McIlroy is a fan of Ulster Rugby and has interrupted his busy golf schedule to attend matches at Ravenhill Stadium in Belfast. McIlroy said in 2023 that he is a fan of the Buffalo Bills, as his wife Erica is originally from Irondequoit, New York. McIlroy stated: "It certainly makes it easier to root for the Bills when Josh Allen is throwing the football."
  
  In 2018, McIlroy appeared on an episode of Amazon Prime show The Grand Tour, racing against Paris Hilton in the "Celebrity Face-Off" segment of the show. McIlroy featured in the sports documentary series Full Swing, which premiered on Netflix in 2023. McIlroy made a cameo appearance in the 2025 film Happy Gilmore 2, a sequel to Happy Gilmore (1996).