ROYAL PORTRUSH IRISH OPEN GOLF

That this House congratulates all those who helped bring about the announcement that the Irish Open Golf Championship is to be staged at Royal Portrush in 2012; acknowledges especially the work and commitment that Arlene Foster MLA, the Northern Ireland Tourism Minister, and her officials carried out to ensure this announcement was made; notes that it was 1953 when the Irish Open was last played in Northern Ireland; and, given the world class status that Darren Clarke, Graham McDowell and Rory McIlroy's success has brought to Northern Ireland golf, expresses the hope that the holding of the Irish Open will assist in bringing forward the announcement that the Open Championship will be staged at Royal Portrush, which has been rightly described as one of the most outstanding links courses in the world.