Rory McIlroy is naturally excited at the prospect of Adare Manor hosting the 2026 Ryder Cup.

McIlroy joined Irish golfing greats Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Shane Lowry yesterday (FR) in the grand re-opening of the Adare Manor course near Limerick.

The course has been closed since early 2016 as renowned course designer Tom Fazio steered the multi-million Euro complete revamping of  the course that last played host to the 2007 and 2008 Irish Open.

Rory McIlroy hitting into ninth hole during the grand re-opening of the Adare Manor course,

McIlroy was aged just 16 when he was a spectator at the 2006 Ryder Cup staged at the K. Club and would well in his prime at age 36 if Adare Manor were handed the 2026 Ryder Cup.

“Of course, I was not part of the team in 2006 but I was there and I was then on the Sunday and watched and was amazed,” he said.

“It just made the hairs on the back of your neck stand-up on end.

Ireland’s big four – Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry at the grand re-opening of Adare Manor.

“So, to play a Ryder Cup in front of your home fans would be a dream come true and hopefully one day it will happen”.

And Adare Manor owner, J. P. McManus is very eager to thrown Adare Manor’s name into the 2026 bidding process.

“It would be great for Adare and it would be great for Limerick,” he said.

“It would be great for Ireland. When you get an event like the Ryder Cup it attracts an awful lot of visitors to the country and the whole economy gets a boost from it, with all the coverage it gets worldwide.

“Not alone do you get it that week but you get it for a couple of years before and many years after. I think the Ryder Cup is important, if we get it to come to Ireland.

“So, we will put our name in the hat as we’d love to have it. I think we have the facilities to host it . . . . there is a lot of hotel rooms within an hour of Adare.

“We have the product and it’s every golf course owner’s hope to get the Ryder Cup even though I am sure it will cost plenty.

“So yes, I would like to bring it to Ireland, like to bring it to Limerick, like to have it then in Adare and give the whole south-west a boost”.