No hotel without casino, architect confirms

THE hotel element of a €460 million sports and leisure complex planned for a rural site in Tipperary will not go ahead if a proposed casino is not allowed, promoters have confirmed.

A “resort casino hotel” with up to 500 bedrooms is part of the proposal which is earmarked for an 800-acre site at Two-Mile Borris near Thurles.

While gambling legislation is being reviewed by the Department of Justice, the venue’s architect said the hotel and the casino “are effectively one” and dependent on each other for progress. The Tipperary Venue also includes turf and all-weather horseracing circuits, a greyhound racing track, a 15,000-capacity indoor entertainment venue, a golf course and an equestrian centre.