The story behind the championship
The Irish Open began at Portmarnock in 1927 and has travelled across the island through long interruptions, a successful revival and an uninterrupted modern run since 1975. Its champions connect the famous Irish links with inland championship venues, while home victories have supplied some of the event's most memorable scenes.
Portmarnock and the first championship
George Duncan won the inaugural Irish Open at Portmarnock in 1927. The club's own timeline places the event within its wider championship history, making Portmarnock the natural starting point for a visitor interested in the competition's origins.
A national open carries a particular kind of identity. The championship belongs to a country, but its competitors arrive from much further afield. That combination was present from the beginning: a Scottish champion won the first edition on an Irish course. The competition's later history continued to combine international winners with the special expectations surrounding home players.
Portmarnock's connection would last far beyond that first tournament. The modern Irish Open returned there repeatedly, so the course links the early competition with several later generations. Walking its golfing landscape today connects the visitor with more than one isolated year in the champions list.
A competition interrupted
The championship continued through 1939 before the Second World War interrupted the sequence. It returned in 1946, when Fred Daly won. Harry Bradshaw followed in 1947 and won again in 1949. Those early Irish victories are an essential part of the national-open story.
The 1953 edition at Belvoir Park was won by Eric Brown. It followed two years without a championship and became the final edition before another long absence. The Irish Open did not return until 1975, leaving a substantial gap between its early history and the modern tour event.
The missing years need to remain visible in a complete table. Otherwise, an apparently smooth list from the 1920 s to the present would conceal the interruptions that shaped the competition. The years without an event explain why the Irish Open's age and the number of editions played are different things.
For a traveller, the early hosts also broaden the story beyond Dublin. Royal Portrush, Royal County Down and Belvoir Park place the championship within Northern Ireland's golfing history. The national event has long crossed the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, connecting courses across the island.
The 1975 revival at Woodbrook
Christy O'Connor Jnr won the revived Irish Open at Woodbrook in 1975. That result began the continuous modern sequence recorded by the European Tour, now the DP World Tour. A home winner gave the return an immediate Irish identity.
Ben Crenshaw won at Portmarnock in 1976, followed by Hubert Green in 1977 and Ken Brown in 1978. Mark James won in both 1979 and 1980. Sam Torrance followed in 1981 and John O'Leary in 1982.
These successive Portmarnock editions gave the revived event a sustained home. The course already held the memory of the first Irish Open, and the modern run added another group of prominent champions. The revival therefore connected with an existing tradition rather than starting from an entirely new setting.
O'Leary's victory became a major reference point for later Irish winners. The wait between his success and Pádraig Harrington's in 2007 gave that later championship an added home significance. The importance of a victory can lie partly in the years that separate it from an earlier one.
Ballesteros, Langer and the Dublin years
Seve Ballesteros won at Royal Dublin in 1983 and 1985, with Bernhard Langer winning the intervening edition in 1984. Ballesteros won again at Portmarnock in 1986 and Langer followed in 1987.
The sequence offers a concentrated view of two of Europe's most influential champions succeeding on Irish links. Their victories also show how the Irish Open became a recurring stage for the leading players of the era. It was a national championship whose results fitted naturally into the wider story of European professional golf.
Ian Woosnam won the next two editions, in 1988 and 1989, both at Portmarnock. José María Olazábal won there in 1990. A reader moving through those years encounters a succession of major champions, but the venue column remains just as important as the names.
The Dublin-area chapter gives visitors a strong historical reason to explore both Portmarnock and Royal Dublin. They are separate courses with their own identities, yet the championship links them through the careers of Ballesteros, Langer and the players who followed.
Faldo's three in a row
Nick Faldo won the Irish Open in 1991, 1992 and 1993. The first two titles came at Killarney and the third at Mount Juliet. His consecutive sequence therefore spans two hosts rather than three identical returns to the same course.
The 1992 and 1993 victories were both decided by play-offs. The Tour's historical account identifies Wayne Westner as the opponent in 1992 and Olazábal in 1993. Those details give the three-year run its competitive shape: dominance in the list of champions did not mean three comfortable Sundays.
Killarney and Mount Juliet also changed the visual and travel setting of the event. The championship's recent links chapter was followed by inland venues in different counties. A national open could carry its prestige from coast to parkland while introducing spectators to another part of Ireland.
Langer won at Mount Juliet in 1994 and Torrance followed in 1995. Those returning champions extended the connection between established European names and the newer host. For a visitor interested in the period, Mount Juliet offers several linked years rather than a single championship moment.
Montgomerie, García and a wider itinerary
Colin Montgomerie won at Druids Glen in 1996 and 1997. David Carter followed in 1998, and Sergio García won in 1999. The four-year sequence made the Wicklow venue another significant chapter in the modern event.
García's victory came early in his professional career, connecting the Irish Open with the emergence of a player who would later become central to European Ryder Cup history. The result is an example of how a national championship can capture a career at a particular turning point.
The event continued to move. Patrik Sjöland won at Ballybunion in 2000; Montgomerie and Søren Hansen won at Fota Island in 2001 and 2002; Michael Campbell won at Portmarnock in 2003. Brett Rumford won at County Louth in 2004, before Carton House hosted Stephen Dodd and Thomas Bjørn as champions in 2005 and 2006.
This succession makes the Irish Open especially useful as a route through Irish golf. The venues are spread widely enough that a historical itinerary needs choices. Following every host in one short holiday would sacrifice time at the places themselves. Selecting a region or a favourite period produces a more enjoyable journey.
Harrington at Adare and Lowry at County Louth
Harrington won at Adare Manor in 2007, defeating Bradley Dredge in a play-off. The victory ended the long wait since O'Leary's 1982 success for another Irish winner of the national open. Richard Finch won the following edition at Adare.
In 2009 Shane Lowry won at County Louth as an amateur, overcoming Robert Rock in a play-off. The official tour history places him among the small group of amateurs to have won on the circuit. His victory immediately became one of the championship's defining modern stories.
The two home victories belong to different career moments. Harrington was an established leading professional; Lowry was an amateur announcing himself to a much wider audience. The shared national setting makes the contrast especially striking. The Irish Open could crown a familiar contender or introduce a new figure who would later become an Open champion.
For visitors, Adare and County Louth offer distinct ways into that history. One connects the national open with Ireland's Ryder Cup venue story; the other provides the setting for Lowry's breakthrough. Keeping the individual years attached to their courses makes those memories easier to follow.
The championship returns north
Jamie Donaldson won at Royal Portrush in 2012, the championship's first Northern Ireland edition since 1953. Paul Casey won at Carton House in 2013 and Mikko Ilonen at Fota Island in 2014. Søren Kjeldsen then won at Royal County Down in 2015.
Rory McIlroy won at The K Club in 2016. Jon Rahm won at Portstewart in 2017, Russell Knox at Ballyliffin in 2018 and Rahm again at Lahinch in 2019. Those years gave the event a run of different settings, with several Irish links receiving a prominent modern championship chapter.
The venues demonstrate the breadth of the national open's appeal. Spectators could follow familiar tour players while discovering a different part of the island each year. The championship became a reason to travel, rather than simply an event attended from an unchanged base.
The 2020 edition was played at Galgorm and won by John Catlin. It belongs in the complete sequence. The pandemic altered the circumstances of professional golf, but it did not cancel that year's Irish Open.
The latest champions
Lucas Herbert won at Mount Juliet in 2021 and Adrian Meronk followed there in 2022. Vincent Norrman won at The K Club in 2023, Rasmus Højgaard at Royal County Down in 2024 and McIlroy at The K Club in 2025.
Lowry won his second Irish Open at Doonbeg in 2026, seventeen years after his amateur success. His 257 total, twenty-three under par, produced an eleven-stroke victory. The official Tour report identifies that margin as a championship record.
The return of Lowry and McIlroy as recent champions gives the modern competition a particularly strong home connection, while the surrounding winners preserve its international character. Both parts belong to the identity established in 1927: an Irish national championship open to the wider professional game.
Repeated winners across changing courses
The repeat champions reveal several different patterns. Faldo won three consecutive editions across Killarney and Mount Juliet. Montgomerie won twice at Druids Glen and later at Fota Island. Ballesteros won at Royal Dublin and Portmarnock. Rahm won at Portstewart and Lahinch. These are records of adaptability as well as consistency. A player returning as champion could face a different landscape, a different course and a different set of conditions. Reading the venue and winner columns together brings that challenge into view. It also gives spectators a reason to connect two courses that might otherwise sit in separate chapters of an Irish holiday.
Visit the Irish Open today
Use the Irish Open hub for the current tournament plan, then choose the relevant venue guide and where-to-stay guide. The course histories connect Portmarnock, Royal County Down, Lahinch and other former hosts with their wider golfing stories.
Our suggestion is to build the trip around one region rather than the whole champions list. Add an extra course visit, a coastal walk or a town associated with a memorable edition. The championship's travelling history offers many possible routes; a well-chosen base lets the history enrich the live event without making each day depend on a long transfer.
Early champions
Early editions are listed separately from the modern tour results. The source links beside each Irish Open History and Champions entry lead to the organiser material and independent history.
| Year | Champion | Venue | Competition | Source note | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | George Duncan | Portmarnock | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1928 | Ernest Whitcombe | Royal County Down (Ch'ship) | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1929 | Abe Mitchell | Portmarnock | — | Reported: independent history | Cross-check |
| 1930 | Charles Whitcombe | Royal Portrush (Dunluce) | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1931 | Bob Kenyon | Royal Dublin | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1932 | Alf Padgham | Cork GC | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1933 | Bob Kenyon | Malone, N. Ire | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1934 | Syd Easterbrook | Portmarnock | — | Reported: independent history | Cross-check |
| 1935 | Ernest Whitcombe | Royal County Down (Ch'ship) | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1936 | Reg Whitcombe | Royal Dublin | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1937 | Bert Gadd | Royal Portrush (Dunluce) | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1938 | Bobby Locke | Portmarnock | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1939 | Arthur Lees | Royal County Down (Ch'ship) | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1946 | Fred Daly | Portmarnock | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1947 | Harry Bradshaw | Royal Portrush (Dunluce) | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1948 | Dai Rees | Portmarnock | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1949 | Harry Bradshaw | Belvoir Park | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1950 | Ossie Pickworth | Royal Dublin | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
| 1953 | Eric Brown | Belvoir Park | — | Official result | Official · Cross-check |
Champions and years not held
| Year | Champion | Venue or reason not held | Total | Winning margin | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Not held | Second World War | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1941 | Not held | Second World War | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1942 | Not held | Second World War | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1943 | Not held | Second World War | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1944 | Not held | Second World War | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1945 | Not held | Second World War | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1951 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1952 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1954 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1955 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1956 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1957 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1958 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1959 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1960 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1961 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1962 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1963 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1964 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1965 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1966 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1967 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1968 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1969 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1970 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1971 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1972 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1973 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1974 | Not held | Financial interruption before the 1975 revival | — | — | Official · Cross-check |
| 1975 | Christy O'Connor Jnr | Woodbrook GC, Co. Wicklow, Ireland | 275 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 1976 | Ben Crenshaw | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 284 | 2 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 1977 | Hubert Green | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 283 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 1978 | Ken Brown | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 281 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 1979 | Mark James | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 282 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 1980 | Mark James | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 284 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 1981 | Sam Torrance | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 276 | 5 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 1982 | John O'Leary | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 287 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 1983 | Seve Ballesteros | Royal Dublin GC, Dublin, Ireland | 271 | 2 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 1984 | Bernhard Langer | Royal Dublin GC, Dublin, Ireland | 267 | 4 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 1985 | Seve Ballesteros | Royal Dublin GC, Dublin, Ireland | 278 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 1986 | Seve Ballesteros | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 285 | 2 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 1987 | Bernhard Langer | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 269 | 10 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 1988 | Ian Woosnam | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 278 | 7 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 1989 | Ian Woosnam | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 278 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 1990 | José María Olazábal | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 282 | 3 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 1991 | Sir Nick Faldo | Killarney Golf & Fishing Club, Killarney, Co Kerry, Ireland | 283 | 3 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 1992 | Sir Nick Faldo | Killarney Golf & Fishing Club, Killarney, Co Kerry, Ireland | 274 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 1993 | Sir Nick Faldo | Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, Ireland | 276 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 1994 | Bernhard Langer | Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, Ireland | 275 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 1995 | Sam Torrance | Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, Ireland | 277 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 1996 | Colin Montgomerie | Druids Glen Golf Resort, Co. Wicklow, Ireland | 279 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 1997 | Colin Montgomerie | Druids Glen Golf Resort, Co. Wicklow, Ireland | 269 | 7 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 1998 | David Carter | Druids Glen Golf Resort, Co. Wicklow, Ireland | 278 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 1999 | Sergio Garcia | Druids Glen Golf Resort, Co. Wicklow, Ireland | 268 | 3 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2000 | Patrik Sjöland | Ballybunion GC, Co. Kerry, Ireland | 270 | 2 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2001 | Colin Montgomerie | Fota Island Resort, Co. Cork, Ireland | 266 | 5 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2002 | Soren Hansen | Fota Island Resort, Co. Cork, Ireland | 270 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 2003 | Michael Campbell | Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland | 277 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 2004 | Brett Rumford | Co Louth GC, Baltray, Drogheda, Ireland | 274 | 4 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2005 | Stephen Dodd | Carton House GC, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland | 279 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 2006 | Thomas Bjørn | Carton House GC, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland | 283 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 2007 | Padraig Harrington | Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, Co. Limerick, Ireland | 283 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 2008 | Richard Finch | Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, Co. Limerick, Ireland | 278 | 2 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2009 | Shane Lowry | Co Louth GC, Baltray, Drogheda, Ireland | 271 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 2010 | Ross Fisher | Killarney Golf & Fishing Club, Killarney, Co Kerry, Ireland | 266 | 2 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2011 | Simon Dyson | Killarney Golf & Fishing Club, Killarney, Co Kerry, Ireland | 269 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 2012 | Jamie Donaldson | Royal Portrush GC, Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland | 270 | 4 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2013 | Paul Casey | Carton House GC, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland | 274 | 3 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2014 | Mikko Ilonen | Fota Island Resort, Co. Cork, Ireland | 271 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 2015 | Søren Kjeldsen | Royal County Down GC, Newcastle, Co Down, Northern Ireland | 282 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 2016 | Rory Mcilroy | The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland | 276 | 3 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2017 | Jon Rahm | Portstewart GC, Co. Derry / Co. Londonderry, Northern Ireland | 264 | 6 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2018 | Russell Knox | Ballyliffin GC, Co. Donegal, Ireland | 274 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 2019 | Jon Rahm | Lahinch GC, Lahinch, Co. Clare, Ireland | 264 | 2 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2020 | John Catlin | Galgorm, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland | 270 | 2 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2021 | Lucas Herbert | Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, Ireland | 269 | 3 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2022 | Adrian Meronk | Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, Ireland | 268 | 3 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
| 2023 | Vincent Norrman | The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland | 274 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 2024 | Rasmus Højgaard | Royal County Down GC, Newcastle, Co Down, Northern Ireland | 275 | 1 stroke | Official · Cross-check |
| 2025 | Rory Mcilroy | The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland | 271 | Play-off | Official · Cross-check |
| 2026 | Shane Lowry | Trump International Golf Links & Hotel, Doonbeg, Ireland | 257 | 11 strokes | Official · Cross-check |
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