Boy George explains why he applied for Irish passport Culture Club star Boy George has revealed he applied for an Irish passport to pay tribute to his late mother, who had Irish roots. 4 May 2026 Boy George applied for an Irish passport to honour to his late mother. Boy George now uses an Irish passport The Culture Club singer - real name George O'Dowd - was born and raised in London and always had a British passport, but he decided to make a change and honour his family's Irish history after his mom Dinah died in 2023.