Olympic-sized ice rinks and over 1,600 jobs: Inside Dublin's winter sports arena
Eva Osborne
A world-class winter sports arena, planned for south Dublin, is expected to attract 1.3 million visitors per year.
The centre in Cherrywood, which will include two Olympic-sized ice rinks, will be home to the country's first ice hockey franchise, while also hosting concerts and other events.
It is expected to create around 80 full-time jobs and over 1,600 part-time employment sessions, with nearly 400 direct roles supported during planning and construction.
Chief executive of Prime Arena Holdings, Dermot Rigley, said they are currently working on designs before submitting a planning application next year.
Speaking on Newstalk, he said: "This is going to be an incredible economic driver for the country.
"I mentioned the NFL... and the amount of money that's getting spent on hotels, restaurants, golf courses, you name it, and we want to be able to bring that to Ireland.
"Not just as a one off, but genuinely, we want to bring here every year. For that 1.3 million we project to come through, that spend will be about €298 million per annum."
As well as two Olympic-sized ice rinks, the facility will also have a 5,000-seat/8,000-standing capacity arena, and a 1,500-capacity conference space.
Designed by DMOD Architects and supported by a team of experts, Dublin Arena aims to blend sustainability with striking design, inspired by Cherrywood’s heritage and set against views of the Wicklow Mountains.
