merrion street

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney today hosted a press conference at Government Buildings to highlight plans to harness the opportunity for Irish business and tourism presented by the forthcoming finish of the Volve Ocean Race in Galway. The race will finish there in July this year, and has a global audience of 2 billion people worldwide. It is expected the race will attract over 50,000 international visitors to Ireland this summer.

Galway previously hosted a stopover during the last race in 2009, and won the right to host the finish of this year's race over 81 competing cities around the world. This year's race is anticipated to yield about €65 million to the local and national economies.

The race festival will officially run from 30th June to 8th July in Galway.