Two Galway professional golfers are to receive funding from the 2026 Golf Ireland Professional Scheme.
Ronan Mullarney and Liam Nolan will each receive €30,000 to support them in becoming established players on the main international tours.
Ronan and Liam are among 13 players who will benefit from grants worth more than €375,000.
This year’s other beneficiaries include Lauren Walsh, Sara Byrne, Conor Purcell, Max Kennedy, Mark Power, Annabel Wilson, James Sugrue, Anna Foster, Áine Donegan, David Carey and John Ross Galbraith.
Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy Charlie McConalogue said: “I would like to congratulate and wish all thirteen players selected for the scheme the very best of luck for this year and beyond. May you all go on to great success in your careers in professional golf. I believe it vitally important that we continue to invest in sport at all levels, and that we support projects such as the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme to enable our elite, high performance golfers to excel in their chosen field.”
Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly said: “This funding is vital for enabling our players to perform at the highest level around the world. We are excited to see where their seasons lead and the role they will play in inspiring future generations of golfers in Ireland. The support from Sport Ireland helps them to reach their goals.”
Golf Ireland High Performance Director Neil Manchip said: “We are delighted to receive the funding from Sport Ireland to support our professional programme. It goes a long to help the development of our professionals making their way in the various tours.”
Sport Ireland CEO Dr Úna May said: “Sport Ireland's investment in the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme reflects our commitment to ensuring Irish athletes have the resources they need to compete at the highest level. Over 25 years, we have seen this scheme deliver real results on the world stage, and the 13 golfers benefiting in 2026 represent the continuing strength of Irish golf at international level.”
Golf Ireland Professional Mark Power said: “The Golf Ireland Pro Scheme provides me with great support throughout the season. The funding and access to invites is a massive help toward giving myself the best opportunity to compete throughout the year.”
Golf Ireland Professional Sara Byrne said: “The Golf Ireland Pro Scheme has been a massive help with the transition from amateur to pro. The financial aid has been a massive part, as that is the number one thing to have to take care of with travelling expenses. The availability to coaching is also a great for whatever sort of help we need.”
With the Ryder Cup returning to Ireland next year, the Government has committed €8.5m in financial support for key professional golf tournaments, including the Amgen Irish Open, KPMG Women’s Irish Open, HotelPlanner Tour, and OFX Irish Legends Tour events, enhancing Ireland’s profile on the international stage.
Sport Ireland has provided funding to the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme since 1999. The scheme also gives players direct funding, assistance with tournament invitations, access to support staff, and access to the state-of-the-art facilities at the Golf Ireland Academy.
Golf Ireland Pro Scheme members can also avail of warm weather training facilities, mentoring from current or former tour professionals and sports medical support through Sport Ireland.
In the time since the Scheme was established more than €5m in grants has been allocated to almost 120 aspiring young golfers.
For more information on the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme visit the Golf Ireland website here. Full criteria for the scheme can also be found here.
About Sport Ireland
Sport Ireland is the authority tasked with the development of sport in Ireland. This includes participation in sport, high-performance sport, anti-doping, coaching and the development of the Sport Ireland Campus. www.sportireland.ie
About Golf Ireland
Golf Ireland is the Governing Body for golf across the island of Ireland. Launched in 2021, Golf Ireland have a vision that golf is a game for everyone - for enjoyment, for health, and for life. www.golfireland.ie
