Golf's Ryder Cup will be played in Ireland in 2005, the Minister for Tourism and Sport confirmed yesterday in Munich. The Government and three major commercial sponsors will fund the event.
The venue has yet to be decided, and Dr McDaid said the Government was neutral on this issue.
The agreement with the PGA European Tour provides for a payment of £7.5 million, half to be provided by the State and the remainder by three commercial sponsors, Aer Lingus, Allied Irish Banks and Waterford Crystal.
Justifying the outlay, the Minister said the golf tourist business was now estimated to be worth £100 million, and the promotional opportunities presented by the staging of the Ryder Cup here should double this.
It is expected the competition will be played at one of three venues, Portmarnock, the K Club in Kildare or Mount Juliet in Kilkenny. Portmarnock is older than the other two clubs and has a world-class reputation as a links course. It is also closest to Dublin, which is important as the capital has the largest concentration of hotel bedrooms.
Dr Michael Smurfit, however, has made it clear that the Smurfit Group, which owns the K Club, will make every effort to bring the event to Straffan.
Dr McDaid said the venue was entirely a matter for the European Tour and the Ryder Cup Committee "pursuant to a tender system . . . The Government is entirely neutral in this matter, being concerned only that the event be staged in Ireland".
Dr McDaid said an eight-year programme of promotion, culminating in 2005, would represent one of the most intensive and sustained tourist promotions ever undertaken.
"Bord Failte and the co-sponsors will be given special hospitality and ticket facilities at the major qualifying events and the Ryder Cup matches."
Aer Lingus will be the official carrier in 2005 and also for the junior Ryder Cup in Boston next year.