Royal Portrush Prepares For The 153rd Open With Community Engagement

As the North Coast prepares to welcome The 153rd Open to Royal Portrush this July, community engagement reached a new milestone on Wednesday 19th February.

An open day at Portrush Town Hall marked the launch of a series of events hosted by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, in partnership with organisers from The Open and The R&A.

The initiative provided an opportunity for local residents and key partners to drop in, ask questions, and raise concerns about the eagerly anticipated event.

District Commander, Superintendent Sinead McIldowney, engaged with representatives from various agencies, local business owners, and residents during the public meeting. The discussions addressed issues including road safety, proposed traffic management plans, anti-social behaviour, and concerns over violence against women and girls, all in light of the projected increase in population during the week-long event.

Superintendent McIldowney remarked: “Yesterday was an informative day, not just for local attendees, but also for myself, to meet with the many representatives from agencies and stakeholders involved in delivering this year’s Open.

“I would encourage members of the public to attend the community open days to learn more about the upcoming event and to gain a better understanding of the logistics of an event of this scale and how you could be impacted.

“We very much look forward to policing the event this year, by providing visible reassurance, to help towards keeping the community and visitors from all over the world, safe.”

Pictured: District Commander, Superintendent Sinead McIldowney and local business owner and resident Colin McClean