Irish Open to remain at Killarney

The Irish Open will be played in Killarney again next season, it has been confirmed.

After the loss of mobile phone company sponsors 3 it was feared the European Tour would explore other options but Failte Ireland managed to convince them to press ahead.

Redmond O’Donoghue, chairman of Failte Ireland, said: “We are delighted to once again be involved in this great event and to commit to being a major sponsor to ensure its continued success.

“The 2010 tournament saw a revival of the event to its former status and provided a fantastic opportunity to showcase Ireland to an audience of 394 million homes worldwide.

“The event attracted the best field seen for many years with 25 of Europe’s top 50 players participating and some 82,000 spectators came to Killarney Golf and Fishing Club over the four days – the second highest attendance for a European Tour event after their flagship BMW PGA Championship.”

The prize fund for the tournament on July 28-31 will be announced at a later date.