Waterford Crystal signs on as official sponsor for Irish Open
Participating in this sponsorship deal:
About Sponsor:
Waterford Crystal is a trademark brand of crystal glassware, previously produced in Waterford, Ireland, though the factory there was shut down after the receivership of Waterford Wedgwood plc in early 2009.[1] Waterford Crystal is still produced in other locations throughout Europe, notably Germany and the Czech Republic, by the company WWRD Holdings Ltd. In 1966 Waterford's chandeliers were installed in Westminster Abbey for the 900th anniversary of the dedication of the abbey after Christoper Hildyard, a minor canon of the abbey for 45 years, convinced the Guinness family to pay for them.[15] Chandeliers hang in other notable buildings, such as Windsor Castle, and the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.[16] Waterford Crystal made the 2,668 crystals for the famous New Year's Eve Ball that is dropped each year in New York City's Times Square. The ball is a 11,875 pound geodesic orb, 12 foot in diameter and is lit by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs.[17][18] Sporting trophies are also crafted by Waterford,[3] such as the Masters Series crystal shield trophies that are awarded to the winner of each of the nine men's professional tennis Masters Series tournaments, the AFCA National Championship Trophy that is awarded to the US college football team which finishes the season at the top of the Coaches Poll, and a representation of the Ashes urn that is presented to the winners of the Test cricket series between England and Australia. Also crafted by Waterford are the winning trophies for the French and German Grand Prix in Formula One, a bat and ball trophy presented at the final game at Yankee Stadium to Derek Jeter and a a glass tennis racket for Boris Becker.[3] They also design the trophies for the People's Choice Awards.[19]
About Property:
The Irish Open is a professional golf tournament on the European Tour, currently played at the end of June or early July. The 72-hole event has been played in many locations on the island; it was last played at the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland in 2011. The event will return to Northern Ireland in 2012 for the first time since 1953 and will be held in County Antrim at Royal Portrush Golf Club, which last hosted in 1947.[1] The 2013 tournament is scheduled for County Kildare at Carton House, which hosted the event in 2005 and 2006. The Irish Open was first played in 1927 and continued until 1950, when the tournament experienced financial problems. Except for a single event, held in 1953, there was a 25-year hiatus until the Irish Open returned in 1975.