Golf

Shane Lowry ends partnership with Kingspan

After years of criticism from Grenfell survivors, the Irish golfer follows Ulster Rugby and the Mercedes Formula One team in cutting ties with the Cavan-based materials firm.

Shane Lowry carded a flawless 66 to lead on day one of the 152nd Open at Royal Troon
Shane Lowry has confirmed he is parting ways with Kingspan. (Zac Goodwin/PA)
By Allan Preston

IRISH golfer Shane Lowry has confirmed he will be parting ways with Kingspan, the Cavan based materials company which was heavily criticised in the Grenfell Inquiry report.

Ahead of his appearance at this weekend’s Irish Open in Newcastle, Co Down, he said in a statement that the two had “mutually agreed to discontinue our sponsorship relationship”.

He has repeatedly faced calls to drop Kingspan since the 2017 tragedy at the west London tower block, where 72 people died in a fire.

The inquiry found last week the company had “knowingly created a false market in insulation,” and had sold its K15 insulation product even though it was not properly tested for high-rise buildings.

The product had been used for Grenfell without Kingspan’s knowledge and made up around 5% of the insulation used, with the inquiry also finding the cladding used was the primary cause for the spread of the fire.

Despite this, the inquiry said Kingspan still “cynically exploited” a lack of the knowledge in the building industry to sell K15 for years.

The negative publicity has also seen Ulster Rugby and the Mercedes Formula One team announce they will be ending their Kingspan sponsorship deals.

Ed Daffarn from the Grenfell United survivors’ group said they had repeatedly contacted Lowry for years about ending his sponsorship.

“We’ve been writing to him for years, saying get this sponsorship off your arm,” the Guardian reported.

“It’s deeply upsetting and deeply offensive, and he doesn’t reply to us.”

Social housing tenants must be treated better, the Deputy Prime Minster said following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report
The Grenfell Inquiry said all 72 deaths in the 2017 tragedy had been avoidable, and followed "decades of failure" by government, other authorities and the building industry. (Lucy North/PA)

In his statement, Mr Lowry said on Tuesday: “Kingspan and I have mutually agreed to discontinue our sponsorship relationship, which we believe to be the right decision for all concerned at this time.

“Neither party will be commenting further.”