The Irish Open is headed to pastures new for 2023 and an exclusive partnership with MainEventTravel.com will be providing players with special rates at three different hotels close to the new venue.
For the first time, the Irish Open will be taking place at the historic Royal Dublin Society in Ballsbridge, Dublin with an eight-day festival running from April 3 to April 10, 2023
The Irish Open – the longest-running No Limit poker tournament in Europe – is a hugely popular event and a mainstay of the European poker calendar. Thousands attend the event every year and past Main Event champions include the likes of James Mitchell, Kevin Vandersmissen, Ian Simpson, Patrick Clarke, Griffin Benger and – most recently – the legendary Steve O’Dwyer.
Through MainEventTravel.com, the 2023 Irish Open is offering exclusive deals at three great hotels that lie close to the RDS. The partnership with MainEventTravel.com also means that players can book their accommodation, flights and Main Event buy-ins all in one place.
Herbert Park is a fantastic four-star hotel that lies close to the main entrance of the RDS and overlooks a magnificent 48-acre park. It’s the perfect place to relax after a hard day at the poker tables with facilities that include a bar, restaurant, coffee shop and fully-equipped fitness centre.
The Clayton Ballsbridge is a traditional four-star hotel nestled in the heart of Dublin's gorgeous Ballsbridge district. The hotel is housed in an iconic 19th-century Masonic School that has been restored to the highest standards. Amenities include the newly-launched Grandstand Bar & Restaurant, the Red Bean Roastery and a lovely outdoor terrace.
The Maldron Hotel is a stylish new hotel in the heart of Dublin 4. Opened in Summer 2022, it’s ideally located for the RDS and offers 4-star rooms, a restaurant and bar, barista coffee and meeting space.
The €1,000,000 guaranteed Main Event, coupled with legendary Dublin hospitality, makes the Irish Open a truly unmissable event. Since it was first held back in 1981, the event has grown to become one of the world’s most prestigious and lively poker festivals and is the longest-running No Limit Texas Hold’em poker tournament in the world after the World Series of Poker. The festival has become a must-attend stop on the international poker circuit for players from as far afield as Australia, Canada and the USA – and provides craic on a level seen nowhere else in the world.
At the Irish Open in April this year, Steve O’Dwyer beat a field of more than 2,000 entries in his home city to win the first prize of €318,700. In a stunning display of poker acumen, O’Dwyer bulldozed his way to victory by eliminating all eight of his final table opponents – including former champion Patrick Clarke. O’Dwyer, who has lived in Dublin for the last ten years, has now netted well over $32 million in live tournament winnings. The Main Event prize pool this year was close to €2 million and organisers Paul Reilly and JP McCann are expecting even more entries for the 2023 edition.
MainEventTravel Managing Director Fraser MacIntyre, who is himself a semi-professional player with nearly $900,000 in live tournament winnings, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be the Official Travel Partner for the Irish Open again. No one who has competed in this event will ever forget it, the atmosphere is incredible. We look forward to helping everyone competing in the event with all their travel needs – whatever events they’re playing and wherever they want to stay.”