*Shane Lowry celebrates winning the 2026 Irish Open in Doonbeg. Photograph: Joe Buckley
THERE is “serious talk” of the Irish Open returning to Clare in 2029, according to a West Clare councillor.
Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) made the comments at the September meeting of the West Clare Municipal District as councillors reflected on the Walker Cup in Lahinch and the Amgen Irish Open in Doonbeg.
Cllr McInerney said the experience of hosting the Irish Open had provided an opportunity for the community and Clare County Council to learn what worked and what could be improved.
“And I think, you know, there is talk of it returning in 2029… there is serious talk of it returning in 2029,” she said.
She said the council had learned a lot as a community from hosting the event and highlighted the difference between staging the Irish Open in Doonbeg and previously hosting it in Lahinch.
“It was a different entity to Lahinch – it was a completely different animal to work around,” she said.
Cllr McInerney praised the council teams involved in supporting the event, saying suggestions for changes or improvements had been met positively.
She said the experience demonstrated the ability of Clare County Council and the local community to work together to host a major international event.
Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District Cllr Michael Shannon (FF) also praised the work carried out by council staff and local communities in Lahinch and Doonbeg.
He said the events had created a positive image for Clare and West Clare around the world and provided a foundation for hosting international events in the future.
“I do believe there will be hundreds of jobs in West Clare created due to the great events of this summer,” he said.
Cllr Shannon said the events could create employment in tourism and other sectors across the county and provide confidence for investment in towns and villages.
He pointed to Kilrush as an example, saying: “We may get a hotel out of it if the confidence is there.”
Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) thanked the council teams in Lahinch for their work during the Walker Cup and praised the Ennistymon office and the team in Kilrush for their work on the Irish Open in Doonbeg.
Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) said he was “still stunned” by the ability of council staff to deliver the events while continuing with their day-to-day work.
“The whole team just have to say well done. We’re very lucky to have such a dedicated crew,” he said.
Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG), Cllr Dinny Gould (IND), Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) and Cllr Shane Talty (FF) also praised council staff and the work involved in staging the events.
Cllr Garrihy said Clare’s teams had become very good at delivering large events in recent years, noting the Irish Open in Lahinch in 2019.
“They are world class events,” he said.
Cllr Shannon said Clare now had a platform to build on the international attention generated by the events, with councillors and the council responsible for ensuring roads and services were capable of supporting increased tourism in the coming years.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
