Just as it was gathering dust...

Gavin "shels"

Dig those Sunderland FC shirts out from the back of the closet. The club has an Irish owner again after Ellis Short, the American owner of the club, became an Irishman.

A notice published yesterday in Iris Oifigiuil, the official state gazette, listed Short as a recent recipient of Irish citizenship. The Missouri-born tycoon, reportedly of Irish descent, has a €3m home at Churchfields, in the K Club, Co Kildare, where his neighbours include the developer Seán Dunne, Noel Smyth, a solicitor, and Charlie McCreevy, the former minister for finance.

Those qualifying for Irish citizenship must have lived in the state for a year prior to applying for naturalisation, and for four of the past eight years. You must also “intend in good faith to continue to reside in the state after naturalisation” and “make a declaration of fidelity to the nation”.

For those of Irish descent, naturalisation can be granted by the minister for justice if they do not meet all the citizenship criteria. A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice refused to comment on Short’s naturalisation yesterday.

Americans can hold dual citizenship as long as the other nation does not require them to renounce their US citizenship.

The businessman, who built his wealth in hedge-fund and private equity management and has been based in Dallas for much of the past decade, took a 30% controlling stake in Sunderland FC in 2008. In May last year, he bought the club outright from the Drumaville Consortium, a group of Irish businessmen.

Roy Keane claimed last year that Short was the reason for his departure as the club’s manager in December 2008

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article7026287.ece

Even the Brits are getting a good giggle out of it, it seems!

mike65

Only in the Irish edition I imagine.

The_B_Man

lol Keane left coz of this bloke? I thought he was doing a stand up job though....;)