Champion jockey Ruby Walsh helped launch Shannon Airport’s sponsorship of the Christmas festival, describing the partnership as a real coup for Limerick Racecourse.

Walsh said: "I think it’s a massive coup for racing to get a sponsor who has nothing to do with racing into the game, a brand-new sponsor and its great work by Limerick Racecourse. Shannon Airport is an iconic airport around the world, I mean it’s the last stop from Europe to America, it’s a gateway for a lot of people and I think it’s a massive relationship in Co Limerick between Shannon Airport and Limerick Racecourse.”

Limerick Racecourse’s Christmas Racing Festival is expecting up to 40,000 racegoers over the four days. Conor O’Neill, Manager at Limerick Racecourse, said: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome Shannon Airport on board as the title sponsor of our four-day Christmas Racing Festival. Shannon Airport is a major international brand and we are honoured that they have chosen Limerick Racecourse’s Christmas Festival as their flagship sponsorship.

"This partnership brings together two of the South West’s most iconic brands. The final furlong has been recreated in the arrivals area of Shannon Airport which will welcome over 100,000 passengers into the region over the busy Christmas period as they race home for Christmas. Tickets to the Shannon Airport Christmas Racing Festival in Limerick are the ideal Christmas gift, packages are selling fast and are available on www.limerickraces.ie.”

Shannon Airport CEO Neil Pakey said that the decision to sponsor the Christmas Festival at Limerick Racecourse was made easy by the festival’s great reputation. “We are delighted to come on board as title sponsor for the festival this year. It’s a festival that everyone with an interest in racing in Munster and beyond looks forward to over the Christmas. It attracts huge crowds and hugely exciting racing. Getting this type of recommendation from Ruby Walsh, who we are thrilled to have welcomed here to the airport to launch the festival, says it all about the quality of the event that they have built over the years.”

The four-day Shannon Airport Christmas Racing Festival at Limerick Racecourse runs from 26th – 29th December.