Irish golfer, Shane Lowry has announced the termination of his sponsorship deal with Kingspan, the insulation company under scrutiny following the final report on the Grenfell Tower fire inquiry.
The 2019 Open champion confirmed the decision in a brief statement released on Tuesday, marking the end of a partnership that began in 2017. “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,” Lowry stated. He added that neither party would comment further.
This development comes shortly after Kingspan faced harsh criticism in the Grenfell Tower inquiry’s final report. Although Kingspan was not directly blamed for the 2017 fire in west London, which claimed 72 lives, the company was found to have shown “complete disregard for fire safety” in its marketing practices. The inquiry highlighted Kingspan’s role in creating a “false market in insulation” for high-rise buildings, despite the fact that the tower’s cladding, not the Kingspan product, was the primary cause of the fire.
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Lowry’s association with Kingspan began just a month before the tragic event, with the golfer prominently displaying the company’s logo on his shirts during tournaments.
Kingspan, headquartered in County Cavan, Ireland, is one of the country’s largest companies and also sponsors Ulster Rugby and the Cavan GAA football team. Ulster Rugby announced earlier this year that their sponsorship deal with Kingspan will end in June 2025.
The Grenfell Tower inquiry report traced a “path to disaster” in the construction industry, dating back to the 1990s, and scrutinized the broader conduct of companies involved, including Kingspan.
