‘We always had great hopes for him’: Holywood celebrates Rory McIlroy’s grand slam

‘My phone has just lit up with people asking for copies,’ said Jossie Pops of his painting of Rory McIlroy. Photograph: Paul McErlane/The Guardian

The torture was over, the sun shone and images of the familiar toothy grin were sprouting across Holywood, the birthplace of the embodiment of agony and ecstasy known as Rory McIlroy.

It was Monday afternoon and the Northern Ireland town could finally flaunt images of its most famous son without risk of jinxing him, because he had won the Masters and history was in the bag.