CORK COUNTY COUNCIL will continue to support the Ironman Cork event next year, Council chief executive Tim Lucey has said. 

Last month’s event saw two participants tragically lose their lives while competing in the swimming portion of the race, which was beset by dangerous weather conditions. 

Lucey has advised the members of Cork County Council that “the Council will continue to support the Ironman Ireland Cork event planned for 2024, having considered accounts presented by both Ironman and Triathlon Ireland on the Ironman Ireland Cork event held in Youghal last August.”

In a statement Lucey said that the council has supported the race in Youghal, Co Cork on three occasions, in 2019, 2022 and 2023, and that the event “is of significant tourism and economic importance to the region, having already generated an economic impact of almost €20m, a continuation of which Cork County Council would wish to see.”

Lucey said that the Ironman organisation has sole responsibility for the hosting of the event and that “this responsibility includes running the event with due care, skill and attention.” 

The matter of the sanctioning of a permit by Triathlon Ireland, such that triathlon is run under federation technical rules, is a separate matter between Ironman and Triathlon Ireland, he said.  

“This is a matter which will be determined between both parties, independently of Cork County Council.” 

An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races consisting of a 3.9 km swim, a 180.2 km cycle and a marathon (42.2 km) run completed in that order.

The total distance of the event is 226.3 km. It is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world.