Are we too precious about the UK claiming Irish stars?

Presenter Jonathan Ross has sparked controversy by referring to Cillian Murphy as a 'British star' multiple times when commentating on the Oscars for ITV on Sunday night.

On Newstalk Breakfast today Irish Independent columnist Ian O'Doherty said the subsequent reaction was "bloody ridiculous" and questioned whether people had anything better to do.

Meanwhile, the Cork native said he was a "very proud Irishman" when accepting the Best Actor award for his work in Oppenheimer before signing off with a “go raibh maith agaibh”.

Irish claims

Mr O’Doherty said claiming foreign stars is something the Irish are also guilty of.

“We tried to claim Mohammad Ali as one of ours,” he said.

“If you cast your mind back a few years ago to when he was made a free man of Ennis and he was called a son of Ennis, and stuff like that.

“Everybody does this – but it is irksome.

“We also named a petrol station after Barrack Obama.”

The Barrack Obama Plaza in Moneygall, Offaly. Image: mauritius images GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo

Mr O’Doherty defended Jonathan Ross.

“Whether you like him or not he knows his movies inside and out and he’s a complete cinema buff,” he said.

“This just seemed to be a case of Ross misspeaking.

“What I found more irritating than his remark, clumsy and cackhanded as it was, was people getting up on their hind legs and taking great offence to it.”

Easily offended

Ireland has become a nation too easily offended, according to Mr O’Doherty.

“It’s just a bit bloody ridiculous,” he said.

“I wish there was nothing else going on in my life, that my life was so banal and bland that I could afford to spend time giving out about Jonathan Ross saying Cillian Murphy is British.

“You get these idiots on social media who seem to think we are in a uniquely victimised situation where everybody is just plundering our stars and plundering our talent.”

Neighbours

Mr O’Doherty said our overseas neighbours think differently than us.

“One of the things that really drive Irish people mad is that the English don’t really care about us that much,” he said.

“They say whether it’s the Scots, the Welsh, the North of Ireland, or the Republic of Ireland – they see it all under the one umbrella.”

Mr O’Doherty said claims Cillian Murphy is British is something to “roll your eyes” at – not get worked up about.