Ireland’s cross-border bid to host the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in 2026 or 2027 has been withdrawn.
Plans to bring racing back here were first raised in late 2022 when the government and Northern Ireland Executive submitted a joint expression of interest.
The Grand Des Parts, the opening round of the iconic bicycle race, was held in Ireland in 1998.
The decision to withdraw the bid, first reported by the Irish Independent, was confirmed on Tuesday.
Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy said its role in the bid would not progress “due to funding cuts this year and the uncertainty of the future budget situation”.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s News at One, Minister of State for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Thomas Byrne said there was “genuine interest” on both sides of the border. economical, touristic, [and] sports perspective.
“But frankly speaking, there is no elected political government in Northern Ireland, so the civil servants who are essentially running the show are unable to actually take this forward and simply don’t have the funds. So you simply can’t run it.’ It doesn’t happen.
“The Grand Départ just can’t get off the ground at all. It’s actually a real shame. We would have loved to have done that too.”
Minister Byrne also acknowledged that there had been “very little” cost to the government in bringing the proposal to this early stage.
“Without political direction in Northern Ireland, we cannot move to the next level. That is the simple reality.”
Regarding the other major sporting event that Ireland is set to host, the 2027 Ryder Cup to be held in Adare Manor, County Limerick, Minister Byrne will complete a new bypass planned for the town ahead of the tournament. He said “every effort” would be made to do so.
“The government obviously approved this last November. It was clear from then that it was going to be tough to get it done.
“My understanding is that Limerick County Council, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the Department for Transport, everyone wants to make this happen, so I want everyone to work as hard as they can to make this happen.
“This is obviously very important and we shouldn’t just build roads just for specific events, not just the Ryder Cup, but clearly Adare is a place that urgently needs a bypass. Walking that road I think everyone who is there knows that.
“We want to make sure that happens and every effort by the Ministry of Sports and Tourism will be made to maintain pressure to ensure that happens and that the deadline is met.”