MILLIONS added to the local economy, thousands of visitors and hundreds of new jobs are expected for Limerick as a bid for Adare Manor to host the 2026 gathers pace.
Last Friday, as the sun shone brightly over its magnificent newly designed golf course, Adare Manor was showcased to the world as a championship destination for the best golfers in the world.
Backing the JP McManus bid, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley played the Tom Fazio redesigned golf course in a €500,000 charity match that opened the venue and highlighted its enormous potential.
Rory McIlroy said that he had “played and competed at much worse venues” in the Ryder Cup, before adding that he would be very confident of the bid’s success.
Former European team captain and tour committee board member Paul McGinley said that the County Limerick luxury resort now has a strong chance of featuring as the destination for the best European and US golfers to do battle in 2026.
“As a proud Irishman, I would be 100 per cent behind this as a venue for the Ryder Cup,” he declared.
The top four Irish professionals also helped launch the return of the JP McManus Pro Am 2020 as talk of the Irish Open being hosted at the course in either 2021 or 2022 was also mooted.
With a number of marquee tournaments expected to be hosted at Adare Manor over the next number of years, the local economy would be bolstered by additional revenue.
In 2006, the K Club hosted the Ryder Cup and this generated more than €140 million to the local economy.
Limerick TD and Fianna Fail spokesperson on foreign affairs and trade Niall Collins said that the completion of the M20, as well as a number of other infrastructural developments would greatly benefit the region on many levels.
“This is a huge opportunity for Adare, Limerick and the Mid West. The Ryder Cup is the world’s biggest golfing event and to have it played in Adare would present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to market the venue and region.
“The economic impact of hosting this event would be huge. The Government must pull out all the stops and get behind this initiative, all agencies of state including Limerick City and County Council also need to be involved in a co-ordinated campaign to make it happen.
JP McManus deserves huge credit for the development of Adare Manor and both he and his team must be fully supported,” Deputy Collins concluded.
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