Adare Manor, Co. Limerick, Ireland, 25th July 2019: Irish golf is set for an extended spell in the golfing spotlight following Shane Lowry's Open Championship victory, with the announcement of Adare Manor as host venue for the 2026 Ryder Cup. Since reopening in April 2018 on completion of a two-year reconstruction commissioned by its owners, the McManus family, The Golf Course at Adare Manor has been propelled to global recognition by a host of well-wishers on the new-look golf course.

The property has been an immediate hit with industry figureheads and top players alike, each rich in praise for the Tom Fazio Design and, in particular, its pristine condition. In its first eighteen months of operation, Adare Manor has collected numerous global accolades, capped off with today's confirmation of its Ryder Cup host venue status. 

“I am delighted that the prestigious Ryder Cup will return to Ireland,” said JP McManus, owner of Adare Manor. “Noreen and I are very happy that Adare Manor was chosen as the venue for this world-renowned tournament in 2026 and we look forward to welcoming our worldwide visitors. 

“It is a wonderful tribute to the many great Irish golf ambassadors and success stories Ireland has had in golf over the years and a nice follow on from Shane's momentous Open win on Sunday in Portrush.  The nation was behind Shane, it was a great achievement and very well deserved. 

“I am confident that the people of Ireland will get behind The Ryder Cup and take the opportunity to showcase Ireland on the world stage and ensure that the 2026 Ryder Cup will be an outstanding success.  I hope the many tourist, golfing and business organisations will work together to identify all the opportunities for the benefit of The Ryder Cup tournament, the Irish economy and across the south west community.”

The announcement was made today by Ryder Cup Europe, which unveiled its partnership with the Irish Government and described the positive economic outcomes The Ryder Cup will yield by amplifying Ireland's distinct golf tourism offering. Hot on the heels of the return of The Open Championship to the island of Ireland, and the extraordinary achievement of national hero, Lowry, the exceptional feats of golf in the region show no signs of abating.

“Adare Manor is a world class venue, both in terms of the golf course and the wider resort facilities,” commented Guy Kinnings, European Ryder Cup Director. “We could not be happier to be able to take golf's greatest team contest back to Ireland and are delighted that Adare Manor will be the venue to showcase the next chapter in Ireland's Ryder Cup story in seven years' time.”

Adare Manor is already familiar to some of the world's best players. The 2020 Ryder Cup Captain, Padraig Harrington, was consulted on the design of the golf course, providing player insights to Tom Fazio and his team. To celebrate its re-opening in April 2018, Lowry and Harrington were joined by four-time Major Champion, Rory McIlroy, and former Ryder Cup Captain, Paul McGinley, for a charity exhibition match. In addition, The JP McManus Pro-Am, the most illustrious event of its kind, has visited Adare Manor on two occasions and will welcome a star-studded cast from both sides of the pond, including Tiger Woods, John Rahm, Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson in July 2020; an opportunity for Ryder Cup hopefuls of the future to get to know the golf course.

Mr Colm Hannon, Adare Manor CEO, said: “We could not be more honoured to be successful in bringing The Ryder Cup back to Ireland and to Adare Manor. Today's announcement is extremely humbling for all of us and my heartfelt thanks and gratitude go out to all of those who have played their part in the Adare Manor story so far.”

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For further information, log-on to www.adaremanor.com, or visit Adare Manor's social media channels at: @TheAdareManor (Twitter), @adaremanorhotel (Facebook), @TheAdareManor (Instagram).

Notes to Editors:

The Golf Course at Adare Manor

The Golf Course at Adare Manor officially opened on April 20th 2018, following a two-year reconstruction phase, which began in March 2016. The Par 72, 7,509-yard championship standard layout has been transformed under the leadership of world-renowned golf course architect, Tom Fazio, using the finest practices and products. The unique features of the golf course include:

• Uniquely elevated green complexes, featuring surfaces of super fine bentgrass. Pure Distinction 'the ultimate bentgrass for smooth and true greens' was chosen for its USGA putting surfaces (12,055sq m in total), the first in Europe to incorporate this feature, whilst A4 bentgrass (regularly used upon the greens of many notable courses worldwide) was chosen for all approach surfaces.

• The course is one of only three in the UK & Ireland where all 18 greens incorporate the SubAir Aeration System, used to remove moisture through vacuum pumps, guaranteeing firm play each day.

• During the construction phase, 220,000 tonnes of sand were used throughout the property, combining with 77,000 linear metres of gravel trenches (50 miles) and perforated pipes to allow for free-draining even in the worst weather conditions.

• The Golf Course at Adare Manor stands as the first globally to be created in such event-ready state, with fibre optic conduit buried within each hole to provide power and telecommunications connectivity for broadcast, whilst an advanced road network has also been built into the property without impacting on aesthetics.

• Water features are present on 14 holes with a number of man-made lakes, streams and the River Maigue regularly in play. As these intersect the course at many points, there was a requirement to create a total of 12 new hand-cut stone bridges, providing another signature feature of the property.

Adare Manor Resort

The 5* castle hotel is situated in the heart of Adare Village in County Limerick. Steeped in history and surrounded by medieval ruins, Adare Manor, which is owned by the McManus family, was unveiled  following a ground-breaking transformation in November 2017. The largest restoration project of its kind in Ireland, the renovation and expansion honours the building's architectural heritage as a Neo-Gothic masterpiece while incorporating the latest in contemporary luxury. Most notably, the expansion included a new 42-bedroom wing, increasing accommodations to a total of 104 guest rooms and a ballroom which can host up to 350 guests. The 842 acres of Adare Manor's beautiful parkland, walled gardens and walking trails were also enhanced and offer an extensive range of pursuits, including falconry, archery, clay pigeon shooting, fishing, state-of-the-art La Mer spa and cinema.

Adare Manor is a 25-minute drive from Shannon International Airport, 1.5 hours from Cork Airport and 2.5 hours from Dublin Airport. Adare sits neatly on the gateway to southwest Ireland. Antiques and craft shops, pubs, restaurants and boutiques can be explored on the main street, while the ruins and churches that surround the village reveal the secrets of its history. www.adaremanor.com