The pressure had been ramping up following last week’s report into the Grenfell tragedy and yesterday Shane Lowry issued a statement bring to an end a partnership that had been in place since 2017.
The original deal was agreed only a month before the tragedy at the London block of flats that cost the lives of 72 people.
Representative groups said they had been asking Lowry to end the association for a number of years and in the wake of the report which while not blaming Kingspan for the fire did make damning comments about deception in marketing materials which were part of the cause.
“Kingspan and I have mutually agreed to discontinue our sponsorship relationship, which we believe to be the right decision for all concerned at this time,” read the statement from Lowry, adding that “Neither party will be commenting further.”
Lowry is in the spotlight this week playing at the Amgen Irish Open in Royal County Down.
It looks like the right move on his part to get out of the way of the troubles inevitably still coming for the company.
Ulster Rugby and Kingspan mutually ended their long term partnership earlier this year though as things stand the team will continue to play with Kingspan on the front of their shirts this season and Kingspan Stadium will still be the name of the home ground in Belfast.
The other Irish sporting partnerships are even closer to home for the Cavan headquartered company with Cavan GAA and Leona Maguire both wearing the logo.
Maguire is currently preparing for the Solheim Cup in Virginia and is unlikely to make any comment on a matter of personal sponsorship until that tournament concludes at the weekend.
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