Deal on €10m soccer centre for Cork

Cork County Council has agreed to lease 30 acres of its land to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) for a €10m regional centre of soccer excellence in Glanmire.

It is expected the FAI will lodge a planning application for the project within the next three months. It will include plans to develop four full-size turf pitches, one full-size artificial pitch, six smaller artificial pitches, and two smaller turf pitches.

The plan — exclusively revealed by the Irish Examiner on May 27 — also includes a pavilion with viewing area, gym, dressing rooms, physiotherapy room, medical room, cafeteria, kitchen, administration offices, and meeting room for the local community.