From rugby in Yorkshire to hurling in Ballyhooly
A Yorkshire native who now calls Ballyhooly home, has recently been made an Irish citizen.
Moving to Ireland in 2005 to Cork City, Peter Sykes said it was initially the ‘City of Culture’ title which Cork held that had drawn him in.
“I’m from Yorkshire originally which is quite similar to Cork, they’re both quite parochial in their ways,” Peter said.
In 2006, Peter subsequently re-located to Ballyhooly and was welcomed with open arms and quickly became wrapped up in the GAA.
“I was always into sport and by January 2007, I was almost running the pitch,” Peter said.
According to Peter, over a Christmas tipple some years ago, his brother had informed Jim McCarthy of Peter’s interest in sport, and from then on, Peter has been recognised as a staple in the Ballyhooly GAA scene.
“I hadn’t a clue what I was getting myself in for, I didn’t realise it was so competitive,” Peter added.
Having played rugby, soccer and basketball prior to moving to Ireland, Peter said that the transition to Gaelic football wasn’t too difficult. However, hurling was new to him, but as Peter noted: “In for a penny, in for a pound.”
“The GAA is very well structured and there’s lots of courses and videos, so you can pick it up fairly easily if you put the effort in,” he said.
By integrating with the GAA, Peter noted that this was a major step into integrating with the local community in Ballyhooly.
“From then on you kind of get roped into everything,” Peter added.
With two kids of his own, Peter began coaching in the Ballyhooly Club when his children were young, but now as teenagers, Peter’s involvement has not ceased.
Upon news of Peter receiving his Irish citizenship, Ballyhooly GAA posted online to congratulate him.
“A great club person. A huge driving forced behind the lotto and facilities, on top of his coaching duties,” the post read.
According to Peter, applying for Irish citizenship is something he has been thinking about for quite a while, with news of Brexit being a precursor for this.
“I applied in February or March of 2020, it’s quite an onerous process actually.
“The big thing for me was that I could never vote in referendums, I would have liked to be able to vote but I never could,” he added.
Having been approved for citizenship, the next step was the ceremony and as Peter had missed out on the previous ceremony in Killarney, the process of becoming a certified Irish citizen was pushed on 12 months.
With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, Minister for Justice and Equality, Helen McEntee announced in October of 2020 that Citizenship ceremonies would be temporarily replaced with a requirement for citizenship applicants to sign an affidavit declaring loyalty to the State.
Normally applicants would be invited to attend a citizenship ceremony where they would swear an oath of fidelity to the Irish nation and receive their Certificate of Naturaliastion, thus becoming an Irish citizen from that moment, however, in light of covid, no ceremony has been held since March 2020.
A letter to Peter, signed by the minister, congratulated him on becoming a citizen, welcoming him to the international Irish community which spans all corners of the globe and has citizens from more than 180 countries.
“It’s important to know that becoming an Irish citizen does not mean giving up your identity from your homeland. It is an integral part of who you are and how you have come to be here today.
“Today marks the start of a new chapter in your life, one that you have chosen to share with us, your fellow Irish citizens. We will celebrate your achievements, support you in difficult times and ensure that you always have a place to call home,” the letter read.