IRELAND WILL not proceed with a bid to host the 37th America's Cup in 2024, it has been announced.
Following consultation with party leaders and cabinet colleagues, Ministers Catherine Martin and Jack Chambers made the decision to withdraw from the bidding process yesterday.
The America's Cup is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing and is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. There is no fixed schedule, with matches held several years apart on dates agreed between the defender and the challenger. The most recent America's Cup match took place in March 2021.
The assessment of the project included engagement with Team New Zealand and their agents, Origin Sports, consultation with government departments, local authorities and other stakeholders and technical assessments.
The assessment provided is that, while Cork Harbour is potentially a great venue for the event, based on the technical assessment carried out the necessary infrastructural and planning arrangements would not be in place to host the event in 2024.
An event of the calibre of the America’s Cup brings with it an expectation of excellent delivery; the tight timeframe available prior to the 37th edition of the Cup "brought with it a large risk of under-delivery," a statement read.
The Ministers recognise that hosting such an event would have brought positives for tourism in Cork and the wider region and are committed to providing strong support to the tourism sector to rebuild as quickly as possible.
The 36th iteration of the America's Cup saw the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron defend the cup in Auckland, with both ministers extending their best wishes to the team for the 37th edition.
The event will now likely take place in Barcelona, Spain, as the location was the only other bidder to host the event.
An announcement is due to be made by Thursday, 31 March.
