Cork's top teams and athletes to benefit from revamped UCC Mardyke Arena gym

THE best and brightest of Cork sport gathered at the Mardyke Arena for the official opening of the University College Cork Mardyke Arena Elite Athlete Team High Performance Strength & Conditioning Gym.

The €3m state-of-the-art-facility will provide elite athletes and elite teams at national, international, an Olympic standard a facility to rival the best on the island of Ireland and internationally.

The facility is also the first carbon-neutral building in UCC and it is located at the back of the main building by the running track.

The event was attended by Lord Mayor Kieran McCarthy, Minster for Finance Michael McGrath, and a host of other delegates.

All-Ireland winner and current UCC senior football manager Billy Morgan, Olympian Lizzy Lee, and boxer Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan were also at the event.

They explored the new facility that will be made available to all high-performance teams, a group that includes Cork GAA, Cork City FC, and Munster Rugby.

UCC President John O'Halloran opened up the proceedings with a speech that also marked the Mardyke Arena’s 23rd year in business.

“When we talk about world-class facilities, we mean that,” he began.

“Today marks a significant milestone in the rich history of sport at University College Cork as we gather to celebrate the official launch of the Elite Athlete and Team High Performance Strength & Conditioning gym in the iconic Mardyke Arena.

“For over 110 years the Mardyke has been witness to local, national and international sporting events and today we add another chapter to that legacy.

Since its official opening in 2001, the Mardyke Arena has grown exponentially to establish itself as a truly world-class facility.

“Ambition, dedication, and perseverance defines the very essence of University College Cork.

This represents the culmination of collective effort by the Mardyke Arena team to create a space that fosters growth, nurtures talent, and supports the aspirations and ambitions of our fantastic students.

“This state-of-the-art-facility is more than a gym. It’s a symbol of the University’s commitment to the unwavering holistic development of our students.

“May this gym be a sanction of growth, a testament of perseverance, and a source of inspiration for generations to come.” 

This was followed by Minster McGrath, a UCC alumnus, who talked about the long history of sport at the College.

“It just shows the excellent facilities they have here in UCC,” he referred to the new facility.

“It is also about collaboration. That is why is so important to see representatives here from so many different sporting codes, different sporting organisations, and governing bodies here this morning.

“There is such a rich tradition of sport here in Cork. It makes perfect sense that the facilities developed here by UCC at the Mardyke are made available.

The Minster also talked about the need to prioritise continuous investment into facilities that will bring top sport stars to Cork.

“We recognise that we have to continue to invest,” he explained.

UCC, like all of the universities and colleges, is in competition to get the best students but also the best athletes.

“Having facilities here in UCC gives them the best chance of attracting those students, who get to go on to represent the university."

John Mullins, who is chair of the Board of Directors for the Mardyke Arena, stressed the importance of the new facility as a structure designed for the needs of the modern day athlete.

“But that’s exactly what people are going to do. Strength and Conditioning is really important now in today’s games,” he said.

“The Strength and Conditioning that this Elite Performance gym is going to provide is going to be superb.

“We started talking about this project in 2020 for all the clubs here but also for the wider community, we are hoping a lot of the organisations here will actually use the facility on a commercial basis.

“It’s great to see that we now have a state-of-the-art facility which is up there with Leinster rugby and Arsenal Football Club, it was designed on the same basis as those professional organisations.

“I would say - without doubt – that this is now the best facility in the country, on this island, in terms of everything that it offers.