The early starters are out on the O’Meara Course at Carton House this morning, and the crowds are arriving to cheer them on at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.

Yesterday’s Pro-Am competition was a star-studded affair. Rugby was represented by James Lowe, Sam Prendergast, and Josh Van der Flier, Athletics by Eamon Coghlan, Gaelic Games by Anthony Nash and Davy Fitzgerald, and Hockey by Katie Mullen, among many others.

The prizes were given out at a barbeque in the courtyard of Carton House as dusk gathered by Stephen King of KPMG and Martin Mangan of Carton House, and the winning team was an entry from the Ladies European Tour, just ahead of one from Amgen and one from KPMG.

CEO of OFX and FAI Board Director Maeve McMahon won the Women’s Longest Drive competition, just ahead of a long effort from Nora Stapleton of Sport Ireland.

The team from Dromoland Castle, which hosted the tournament so brilliantly in 2022 and 2023, was also there, with Mark and Maria Nolan alongside Eamon O’Donnell.

There was a real buzz about the course throughout the day and a sense of anticipation for the action to unfold over the coming days.

If you have the opportunity to visit the venue, it will be a day or days well spent.

As part of a global movement towards Period Positivity, the KPMG Women’s Irish Open and Golf Ireland are committed to ensuring that all women, girls, and menstruating people feel comfortable and welcomed.

To support this, free period products and leak-proof, sustainable disposal bags will be available in the toilets throughout the event at Carton House, a Fairmont-managed hotel.

This initiative, rolled out in partnership with FabLittleBag, ensures participants and spectators have access to environmentally friendly period product disposal bags. The bags are sealable and discreet, making them ideal for use on the course.

“It is exciting and encouraging to welcome Golf Ireland to our Period Supportive Movement. The women’s game is growing fast both in terms of participation and visibility,” said Martha Silcott, CEO of FabLittleBag.

“In a sport where women have fought particularly hard to be included, this is a positive step forward, rolling out a committed strategy to ensure that over the coming year, golfing events involving Golf Ireland will provide access to free period products and FabLittleBags for easy discreet disposal for the players and supporters.

“FabLittleBag is proud to play the small but important role in making women’s golf more inclusive and welcoming to women and girls.”

The tournament is also completing a first for Irish Sport in Sustainability: it is the first major sports event to operate a Re-Turn facility for bottles and cans, all the proceeds of which will go to two charities. Read more about this here.

 

 

 

 

Sport for Business, in partnership with Allianz, will hold the 2024 Sport for Business Sport for Social Good Conference on Thursday, October 24th. This is one of ten events currently planned for the remainder of 2024.

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