The plan is to build it as part of a new multi-purpose sports arena on the site of the TUS Coonagh Campus.
Minister of State for Sport Thomas Byrne has made two significant funding announcements for sport in Limerick this morning.
€7.5 million has been announced for Limerick’s City North Arena sports campus which will boast Ireland’s first indoor veldrome outside of Dublin.
The arena will be built on the Technological University of the Shannon’s Coonagh Campus and will also include a multi-purpose, multi-sport floored area providing for combinations of, 1-2 basketball courts, 1 tennis court, 7-8 badminton courts, 3 volleyball courts, and other space for sporting activities with fixed spectator seating.
The funding was announced under the Large-Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund following a joint application by TUS and Cycling Ireland.
It’s estimated the total cost of the project will be in the region of 15.4 million euro.
At the time of the signing of the agreement between TUS and Cycling Ireland, Neill Delhaye, Cycling Ireland High Performance Head Coach, said: “Sports infrastructure projects, like this Limerick Velodrome, have a hugely positive & wide reaching community benefit. To be able to train, race, have fun and compete all year round in a safe, spectator friendly environment is a potential game changer for cycling at every level from participation, pathway development and all the way to high performance.”
Separately, €650,000 has been announced for Patrickswell GAA.
This funding will allow the club to create a natural turf full-sized playing pitch, a natural turf training area, a new running track around the perimeter of the main pitch, and a training area, floodlighting and ball stop nets.
Minister of State for Sport Thomas Byrne says it’s excellent news for Limerick:
“I’m really glad to confirm that 7.5 million euro has been allocated to Limerick’s City North Arena which will see the development of the region’s first ever velodrome track together with a multi-sport facility catering for basketball, tennis, badminton and volleyball. This will be transformational for Limerick. Patrickswell GAA will also benefit under the fund with an allocation of €650,000 for their pitch project.”
