Walking down the bustling Holywood high street on Monday, there was just one topic on everyone’s lips.
From his likeness etched on to biscuits, to signs in estate agents’ windows and chat about how to mark his long-waited Masters glory, it was all about Rory McIlroy.
It was a long time coming for Holywood’s favourite son, and the dramatic twists and turns across Sunday into the early hours of Monday made it feel even longer, but all eyes in the Co Down town were on McIlroy as he became one of just six golfers to clinch the career grand slam of major victories.
At Skinners Bakery, owner Graham McMorris, created German biscuits bearing McIlroy’s face in icing, to celebrate.
By Monday lunch time, they had sold 230 before running out of the sugar paper picture toppers and planned to make more across the rest of the week.
“I was in at 3.30am, and my wife brought me the picture at 8am and we started doing the biscuits then and I have been doing them ever since,” he told the PA news agency.
“We’ve just ran out of pictures so I think that’ll be it for the day, but we’ll do more tomorrow as we’ve already had people on the phone asking to order some for tomorrow.
“They’ve all had to be cut individually because we ran out of the sheets with the pre-cut pictures so it had been long and very hard work doing it but it’s worth it. We’re very glad to be able to do it for him, and the people of Holywood really enjoy it.”
Next door, Chris Gouk, owner of Orrs Butchers, described watching McIlroy as a “real rollercoaster”.
“I stayed up, I thought I wasn’t going to after the first hole, but yes, it was a real rollercoaster,” he told PA.
“He brought it back every time, it was brilliant, I’m so pleased for him.
“Everyone is buzzing about it, not one person who has been in the shop today hasn’t mentioned the golf. It’s massive.
“Even people who don’t watch golf have seen it, they’ve watched it, they’ve read about it, everyone is pleased for him. It’s a massive achievement for somebody from a small town like this.”
Connor Browne, owner of Rodgers and Browne Estate Agents, was among those who stayed up to see McIlroy win.
His business was one of several who displayed congratulatory signs in their windows on Monday.
“It’s fabulous, from everyone in Holywood who have been supporting him for such a long time, 11 years in the making, he’s such a wonderful golfer, wears his heart on his sleeve, and to get over the line, it was amazing,” he told PA.
“The mood around the town is magnificent – everyone is smiling, everyone is so happy that, effectively, he had got the monkey off his back and will end up winning far more majors than he has already because he’ll be relaxed.
“The idea that he is only one of six since the start of golf, that’s amazing.”
Gillian McCollum, a local councillor for the Alliance Party, said she and her colleagues have already sent in a notice of motion of congratulations.
Her son was in Augusta to see McIlroy win.
“Very tired today because I was up until very late last night watching our local boy Rory McIlroy win Augusta 2025, a long-held dream for all of us as well,” she said.
“I actually have a son out there who just cannot believe his luck that he was actually there to see his hero Rory bring home the green jacket.
“Just walking around the town, everyone is so absolutely thrilled for him, we feel such an enormous sense of pride in our boy after this just fantastic achievement and we can’t wait to see him, what a homecoming he is going to get.
“That video clip of him as a child with his little mini plastic golf set clipping balls into his washing machine, that is one of those iconic images, that’s where it started at the age of three. He went to St Patrick’s Primary School here in Holywood, then Sullivan Upper School after that and everyone retains such fantastic memories of him. He really is an inspiration.”
