Two-stop tour includes a featured exhibition at National Museum of Ireland in Dublin
St. Augustine, Fla. (June 29, 2006) – In honor of the 2006 Ryder Cup, the World Golf Hall of Fame and Waterford Crystal, an official sponsor of the 2006 Ryder Cup, have unveiled a special exhibit at the Waterford Crystal Visitor Center in Kilbarry, Waterford, Ireland. The exhibit, "The World Golf Hall of Fame and Waterford Crystal Present: A Tribute to the Ryder Cup" features the stories of Hall of Fame members who have participated on or captained Ryder Cup teams over the years. The exhibit will move to the National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History at Collins Barracks in Dublin for the months of August and September 2006, then return to Waterford through Summer 2007.
The project marks the first time the World Golf Hall of Fame has opened an exhibit outside of its museum in St. Augustine, Florida, and collaborated with another museum to present an exhibit. The display is expected to draw in excess of 500,000 visitors between the two locations throughout its seventeen-month stay in Ireland.
The exhibit in Ireland provides a historical overview of The Ryder Cup, including the origin of The Matches, scores, venues and captains, and video of significant Ryder Cup moments. From wartime matches of the 1940s to the story of Nicklaus and Jacklin’s "concession" in 1969 and comeback prediction by Crenshaw (U.S. Captain) in 1999, the exhibits looks at significant moments in the history of the tournament through the achievements of the Hall’s members.
Thirteen Hall of Fame members have donated or loaned personal artifacts for the exhibits, including Seve Ballesteros, Billy Casper, Neil Coles, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Faldo, Raymond Floyd, Tony Jacklin, Tom Kite, Bernhard Langer, Gene Littler, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Payne Stewart.
"Creating an exhibit to be displayed at Waterford Crystal Visitor Center and National Museum of Ireland as the Ryder Cup makes its first appearance in that country is a great opportunity to share the story of the Hall of Fame and our members with a keen international audience," said Jack Peter, Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "We are grateful for the assistance we’ve received from our members, the National Museum of Ireland, PGA European Tour and PGA of America, as well as the support we’ve received from Waterford Crystal, to bring the exhibit to life."
Items on display will include Nicklaus’ 1969 Team blazer, Jacklin’s 1989 Ryder Cup Trophy, Stewart’s uniquely designed Ryder Cup headwear and Crenshaw’s famous Sunday teamshirt from the 1999 Ryder Cup at Brookline, and much more. The exhibit also will carry one of only five full-scale Ryder Cup trophies.
Brian McGee, Sales and Marketing Director of Waterford Crystal, who attended the opening today at Waterford along with Irish Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O’Donoghue T.D, said, "For over 60 years Waterford Crystal has been associated with incredible moments of achievement in the world of international sport. When the idea emerged for this exhibit, we recognized it immediately as a unique opportunity to be involved in the sport of golf, and a great occasion to work with the World Golf Hall of Fame, with whom we share a great relationship."
Dr. Patrick Wallace, Director of the National Museum of Ireland said, "We are delighted to host this unique historical exhibition of The Ryder Cup at Collins Barracks and we hope that by offering visitors an insight into the personal stories behind the achievements, it will give people a greater connection with this prestigious sporting event."
The exhibit at the National Museum of Ireland also will look at Waterford’s involvement in the sport of golf over the years. For more information, visit www.wgv.com or www.waterford.ie.
About the World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame, located in St. Augustine, Fla., is the ultimate destination for the celebration and recognition of golf’s greatest players and contributors and an inspiration to golfers and fans throughout the world. A collaboration of 26 national and international golf organizations support the Hall of Fame, including the PGA TOUR, LPGA, USGA, PGA of America and The R&A. The museum houses interactive exhibits and historic and personal artifacts that tell the stories of its members and the game of golf. Adjacent is the World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX® Theater. For more information, visit www.wgv.com.
About Waterford Crystal
Waterford Crystal is the world’s leading luxury crystal brand and is proud of its 200 years of excellence in design and craftsmanship. Since 1783, they have produced the finest luxury crystal around the world. For the past 60 years Waterford Crystal has also been associated with
incredible moments of achievement in the world of international sport. The brand has an unrivalled a heritage for marking truly great sporting occasions and a long association with golf, dating back to the ’70s when Bing Crosby asked Waterford Crystal to design a trophy for what is now the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Waterford Crystal is proud to be official sponsor of the Ryder Cup 2006 – one of the biggest competitions in the world of sport and the most prestigious event Ireland has ever hosted. The Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre opened in 1986 and the tour is currently Ireland largest craft attraction and fourth largest visitor attraction, drawing 350,000 visitors annually. For further information on Waterford Crystal and/or the World Golf Hall of Fame exhibit at its Visitor Centre log onto www.waterford.ie.
National Museum of Ireland
The National Museum is an unrivalled resource to the public as it defines the story of Ireland in material cultural terms. The quality of the collections, the buildings and the standards of excellence in display, literature and exhibitions have contributed to ensuring that the National Museum of Ireland is considered a leading cultural and academic institution, both nationally and internationally. A family of four museum sites, three in Dublin and one in Co Mayo, the Ryder Cup Exhibition will be located in The National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks. Formally the longest occupied Barracks in Europe, restoration work has resulted in a magnificent landmark with many of the original interior features faithfully restored. Collins Barracks now houses The State’s Decorative Arts collections, ranging from ceramics to weaponry, furniture to folklife, costume to silver and glassware. From the finest in design and materials to the simplest and most humble, each and every object has its own particular story to tell. Admission to all exhibitions is free of charge. For more information, visit www.museum.ie.
Contact:
Jane Fader
World Golf Hall of Fame
001-904-940-4009 (U.S.)
jfader@wghof.org
Clare McNamara
National Museum of Ireland
+353 1 6486447 (Ireland)
cmcnamara@museum.ie
Fiona Byrne
O’Herlihy Communications (for Waterford)
+353 1 660 2744 (Ireland)
fbyrne@ohcpr.ie
