New Limerick velodrome 'absolutely key' for Irish cycling

The Limerick velodrome will be central to the proposed new multi-purpose sports arena on the Technological University’s Coonagh Campus. TUS and Cycling Ireland have agreed to pursue the project as a joint application through the Large-Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund

An artist's impression of the new velodrome set to be built on the northside of Limerick city.

Encouraging as it has been to see the various buildings and pitches pop up around the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin this past 20 years, there is an unavoidable shortfall when it comes to modern, world-class sports facilities elsewhere on the island.

The closure of the athletics track at the UCC Mardyke Sports Ground earlier this year, which left the entire county of Cork, its 8,600 athletes and 58 clubs bereft of a single track for a time, was the most egregious example of just how sparsely served the island can be. Why shouldn’t we have the best of both worlds?