Irish Open is ‘massive opportunity’ for area

Irish Open is ‘massive opportunity’ for area

14 August 2024

NEXT month’s Amgen Irish Open golf tournament at Newcastle’s prestigious Royal County Down links course presents a “massive opportunity” to showcase the resort and wider Newry, Mourne and Down area to the world, a local politician insists.

The prestigious DP World Tour event is returning to the famous course after nine years and will attract thousands of visitors to the resort.

Television coverage will be beamed into several hundred million homes across the globe which Mournes councillor, Glyn Hanna, said will help show Newcastle and the wider district in all its glory.

The tournament – one of the premier events on the DP World Tour – was hosted by Rory McIlroy in 2015 and was won by Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen who triumphed after a playoff win over Eddie Pepperell and Bernd Wiesberger.

A number of major broadcasters will be entrenched at the spectacular links course in the run-up to and during the tournament which is again generating unprecedented levels of interest and expected to produce a multi-million pound bonanza to the local economy.

Sky Sports, BBC, RTE and The Golf Channel are all expected to provide in-depth coverage of the championship with several set to build temporary on-course studios for their respective presenters.

In addition to television coverage, there will also be minute by minute radio coverage of the Irish Open.

Outside broadcast lorries featuring the latest in digital technology, on-screen graphic production and producers, will be the nerve centre of the Irish Open coverage and in 2015, a spectacular overview of the Royal County Down course was provided to viewers by a television camera perched 53 metres high on the 18th fairway. 

Royal County Down’s par 71 layout is currently ranked number one in Golf Monthly’s top 100 courses in the UK and Ireland.

The local course is also no stranger to big tournaments, with the 2007 Walker Cup, 2012 Palmer Cup and the Ladies European Team Championship in 2021 being played at the historic venue.

Cllr Hanna is delighted the Irish Open is returning to Newcastle and is looking forward to some spectacular golf from some of the world’s best.

He said hosting the tournament at one of the world’s best courses presents a “massive opportunity” to ensure the Mournes area, South Down and local council area are seen by a global television audience.

“The Irish Open will open a window to the rest of the world of  how great our golf courses are and the beautiful scenery we have in South Down,” he said.

“This event will be a massive boost to our local economy and to the whole community and many, many people are looking forward to what promises to be a fantastic golfing classic. All we need is sunny south Down weather.”

Cllr Hanna praised Newry, Mourne and Down Council for the work it is putting in ahead of the tournament.

“There has been a massive planning effort to ensure the tournament is a major success,” he said.

“In addition to the golf itself, there are many other activities as well in Newcastle with the town’s Chamber of Commerce and businesses getting into excitement of the event.”

Cllr Hanna also welcomed a decision by Maghera’s Star of Down Flute Band parade to change the date of its annual parade.

It was originally scheduled for the same weekend as the Irish Open, but its officials have moved it to Friday, August 23.

Cllr Hanna said the band’s decision shows that everyone in the community wants the prestigious golf tournament to be a success.

Ahead of next month’s tournament, plans have been drawn up to make several local authority car parks available for the exclusive use of spectators attending the event.

The local authority has been liaising with the DP World Tour alongside the PSNI, Department for Infrastructure and Translink on devising a traffic management plan to cope with the thousands of spectators making their way to the famous links course.

The tournament organiser has requested the use of the Downs Road car park, the closest one to the course, and the grass area at the rear of Donard Park.

A grass area at the Downs Road is also being reserved for people attending church services, while a park and ride scheme will be in operation at the outdoor Northfield Bible site at the Dundrum Road.

The parking area in Donard Park has been earmarked to be used by people travelling from Kilkeel into Newcastle via South Promenade, with access via an existing entrance at Shanslieve Drive.

Tour organisers have asked for the use of the Downs Road given its close proximity to Royal County Down and will be used for both parking and a -off area.

Tournament organisers are keen on utilising Downs Road as it significantly minimises the number of public crossing points over main roads for spectators attending the event who use the park and ride facility.

The plans is for the Downs Road to be for the use of sponsors, dignitaries and VIPs, while the strip of grassland is reserved for church parking and people attending what are being described as any “unforeseen events” such as funerals.