Free Punchestown Tickets With Ryanair

Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline has confirmed that it has reached an agreement with Punchestown Racecourse under which Ryanair has purchased 5,000 general admission tickets for the five day Punchestown Festival. The tickets will be distributed entirely free of charge to the first 5,000 Ryanair passengers travelling on any Ryanair flight from the UK to Dublin on any of the five days of the 2009 Irish National Hunt Festival at Punchestown.

This partnership between Ryanair and Punchestown offers British racing fans one last opportunity, following Cheltenham and Aintree, to see the best national hunt horses in these islands. UK trainers Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson have already suggested that champions Master Minded and Punjabi may travel to Punchestown for the Festival. Ryanair's free race ticket offer allows British visitors the ideal chance to fly to Dublin, spend a day at Punchestown and watch these champions make their last seasonal appearance.

Releasing details of this promotion today in London, Ryanair's Michael O'Leary said:"Ryanair is proud of it's long standing connection with the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival. This partnership with Punchestown gives Ryanair a similar link-up with Ireland's "Cheltenham".

"Ryanair is offering flights from 18 English and Scottish airports to Dublin on each of the five days of the Punchestown Festival, and now with these free racecourse entry tickets, thousands of British guests can now sample the best low fares airline in Europe, as well as the best jump racing in Ireland.

"With just 5,000 free entrance tickets and enormous demand, these freebies will be allocated on a first come, first served basis to only those passengers who have purchased a Ryanair flight from the UK to Dublin on any of the 5 days of the Punchestown Jump Racing Festival.

"People wishing to avail of this offer should book a low fare flight on www.ryanair.com and click on the "Punchestown" button on the homepage of the Ryanair website ? before Monday 13th April ? to avail of their free racecourse entry tickets."

Welcoming the announcement Dick O Sullivan General Manager said "We are delighted to announce this partnership with Ryanair and it is tremendous for Punchestown to have the support of such a successful international brand. Michael O Leary has enjoyed a lot of success here at Punchestown with War of Attrition and many other horses and we look forward to welcoming him back to the winners enclosure this year "