Katie Taylor isn’t only Irish star who has been mistakenly called British

BOXER Katie Taylor isn’t the only famous Irish woman who has mistakenly been called British or English - footage has emerged of screen legend Maureen O’Hara explaining how she refused to forswear allegiance to England in a court of law.

Irish fans were left fuming on Saturday night after Sky Sports presenter Anna Woolhouse mistakenly described Katie Taylor as being a "2012 team GB Olympian" during coverage of the Taylor v Persoon fight. Taylor, of course, won the contest to retain her title as undisputed lightweight champion of the world. 

No sooner had the words left the presenter’s lips when Irish people took to Twitter and other online platforms to voice their anger at the faux pas.

Reminding Sky Sports that the athlete is in fact, Irish, one woman tagged a piece of footage of Oscar-winning actress Maureen O’Hara giving her own account of defending her nationality in a court of law.

Emma DeSouza tweeted: “And I cannot do a thread on the Irish not being British without including the legendary Maureen O'Hara”.

She went on to quote the actress as saying: "I'm terribly sorry but I can't forswear an allegiance that I don't have, I have no allegiance to England at all, I am Irish".

In the footage O’Hara explains how, when attempting to become a US citizen in 1946, she was shown papers on which her nationality of Irish - which she had previously filled in - was crossed out in several places and replaced with English.

And I cannot do a thread on the Irish not being British without including the legendary Maureen O'Hara

"I'm terribly sorry but I can't forswear an allegiance that I don't have, I have no allegiance to England at all, I am Irish" pic.twitter.com/bln2OHwx3M

— Emma DeSouza (@EmmandJDeSouza) August 23, 2020

She was sent before a judge who said: “As far as I’m concerned, you’re English”. Ms O’Hara refused to accept it. A call was made to Washington to establish what they considered her to be. The response was “Washington said she’s English”. Ms O’Hara said: “Thank you very much but I can’t accept citizenship under those conditions.”

Determined to have the last word as she left the court Ms O’Hara said: “Your Honour, do you realise what you are trying to do to my children and grandchildren?  You’re trying to take away their right to boast about their wonderful Irish mother and Irish grandmother”.

The judge gave into her, telling the court to “give her anything she wants on her papers”.

Ms O’Hara of course had strong links to County Limerick and just last week a special fashion show took place at Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum to mark the centenary of the birth of the screen legend who passed away in 2015.

In 1968, Maureen O’Hara married famed aviator Brigadier General Charles Blair, who was a friend of her family for many years. Among other highlights of his distinguished careers in the U.S. Air Force, as a senior pilot for Pan American, and as a seaplane pilot for Antilles Airboats, Blair flew flying boats into Foynes between the years of 1942 and 1945.