Taxpayer won’t pay for ditched stadium

THE taxpayer will not be out of pocket over a decision to abandon plans for a new greyhound stadium on a site purchased for more than €1 million near Limerick, the chief executive of the Irish Greyhound Board said yesterday.

The new stadium will instead go ahead on a 11-acre site at the old Limerick racecourse for which Bord na gCon has agreed to purchase for €3m. It is expected that racing will commence at the new stadium within three years at an overall cost of about €20m.

Plans for the original site on the Co Clare side of the Shannon near the Two Mile Inn Hotel were scuppered due to planning difficulties.

Chief executive of the board Adrian Neilan said it had yet to decide what it will do with the 10-acre site in Co Clare.

Mr Neilan said: “We own this land and we now want to maximise our investment, and will listen to any offers in the context of maximising this investment.”

Although the board has not put the land on the market, it said it has already received some interest from potential purchasers.

Mr Neilan said: “It is interesting that we have got calls already about purchasing the site. And the purchase prices mentioned would indicate we are going to make a significant return on the site. From the taxpayers’ perspective we are going to get a good return.”

Mr Neilan said Clare Co Council has plans for lands adjacent to the site and this will add to its market value.

He said it is likely they will take a long-term view regarding the site rather than trying to dispose of it in the short term.

Mr Neilan said: “The location is very near the city and will be even closer when the Southern Ring road tunnel is completed.”

Mr Neilan said their solicitors were completing the purchase of the new site at the old Greenpark racecourse which is strategically located on the Limerick side of the Southern Ring.

The design will be the same model as that drawn for the old site.

Greyhound racing in Limerick, where the Irish Greyhound Board is headquartered, has fallen behind other centres such as Cork, Galway and Tralee where state-of-the-art stadia have been developed.

Mayor of Limerick Ger Fahy said: “The stadium will be great for the huge number of greyhound followers in the Limerick area and for attracting more visitors.”