Golf dilemma for sports fans
Freda and John Sheehan, Margaret Doyle and Paul Cotter who will be taking care of the catering during the 3 Irish Open at Killarney Golf Club this week. Credit: Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin
KERRY'S sporting fanatics will be in a bit of a dilemma this weekend as the country's top golfing event clashes with a mouth-watering showdown between old-school GAA rivals Kerry and Down. The Irish Open will attract 80,000 golf fans, eager to see the likes of Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington but with the four-day event rolling into the weekend, Croke Park's decision to hold Kerry's All-Ireland quarter-final on Saturday afternoon will mean some serious soul searching.
Killarney Golf and Fishing Club manager Maurice O'Meara has confirmed to The Kerryman that the game will be shown on the big screen in all bars at the world famous clubhouse, meaning that GAA fans will not be left disappointed. One interested onlooker may be Hollywood County Down born Rory McIlroy who will be hoping for a double celebration as he is also the bookies favourite for the open.
Also celebrating will be hundreds of local businesses who will benefit from a €30m commercial and tourism windfall over the coming months. The cash bonanza will be reward for the thousands of man-hours put into perfecting the course and the wider Killarney area. AFTER months of preparation, the town of Killarney is in full swing as players at the 3 Irish Open get ready to tee-off tomorrow.
80,000 spectators are expected to pass through the four-day golf competition, which is providing ample opportunity for all aspects of business in the town, particularly the local hospitality trade.
Jerry O'Grady, from Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, said most of the accommodation in the town and its surrounding areas are more or less full. "It is fantastic for the town," he added.
"Everyone is delighted to see Killarney so busy," said Michael Rosney, PRO of the Kerry branch of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF).
Mr Rosney pointed out that bookings are not limited to four and five-star hotels but are "straddling all options", which is good news for local guesthouses and B&Bs and added that bookings have filtered out to surrounding areas, such as Kenmare.
A search on accommodation website goireland.com on Tuesday found that, as expected, most hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs are booked out on Friday and Saturday night. Prices of accommodation still available at the time of going to print range from €62 for a B&B outside the town to €280 for a night in a five-star hotel on Saturday night. There is considerably more availability on Thursday and Sunday night.
Mr Rosney added: "We are hoping for a good crowd, a good atmosphere and most importantly, good weather. It's set to be a very busy and vibrant weekend in the town of Killarney."
The Chamber of Tourism and Commerce could not pinpoint an exact figure of revenue the weekend will generate but a county-wide figure is set at €30 million for the August Bank Holiday weekend and the exposure follow-up of the event is expected to generate €20 million for the town.
- KEVIN HUGHES
