The ministers are set to contemplate bringing The Open Championship golf tournament and the AIG Women’s Open to Portmarnock Golf Club. Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism and Sport, will present the proposals for these bids to the government on Wednesday morning. Simultaneously, the Cabinet will be apprised on the new Major International Sports Events Policy and Strategy Framework.
This follows the recent conclusion of The Open Championship at Royal Troon golf club in Scotland, where American golfer Xander Schauffele triumphed, securing the Claret Jug over the weekend. The championship, co-ordinated by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R & A), also organises the AIG Women’s Open.
Despite the notable challenges of staging The Open at Portmarnock, it remains a distinct possibility, pending further talks between the R & A and Portmarnock Golf Club over the summer. This comes after the golf club reached an important milestone in 2022, welcoming its first female members in 128 years.
To date, The Open Championship has never been held outside the UK, with a previous instance at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland in 2019, with plans for the tournament to return next year.
In previous instances, Ireland has been a successful bidder for major golf tournaments, as seen with the staging of the Ryder Cup at the K-Club in Kildare in 2006 and the forthcoming event at Adare Manor in Limerick in 2027. The Solheim Cup women’s tournament also took place at Killeen Castle, Co Meath, in 2011.
Ms Martin is also anticipated to update Cabinet colleagues on the recently devised major sports events strategy, courtesy of Minister of State for Sport, Thomas Byrne. The strategy outlines the associated risks and costs that come with hosting major sports events, stating that while some events may offer substantial economic and sporting gains for Ireland, others may not.