Green light for Thomond Park revamp
The IRFU already purchased 16 terraced houses at Knochalisheen Road for a figure believed to be around €4m, and now the council has agreed to the sale of 12 flats and adjoining sites covering more than 1.4 acre for €1.5m.
Cllr Kevin Kiely, who chairs the council’s sports and cultural policy committee, said they were getting the full market value for the houses.
He said: “I am very happy with the price. Most of the flats have been derelict and boarded up for years. It was the council’s intention to demolish and rebuild.
He added: “Everyone in Limerick is delighted to see Thomond Park being retained and redeveloped as the home of Munster rugby. The whole city is behind this great project.”
The flats are adjacent to the houses at Knocakalisheen road.
The IRFU was told by their own design experts that extra land at Knockalisheen Road was needed to allow the development to proceed.
Sunday’s big success by the Munster side against Leicester in the Heineken Cup will prove a massive boost when the IRFU put the second batch of ten-year Thomond Park tickets on the market.
When the first 1,250 ten year tickets were offered earlier this year they were snapped up within a few weeks.
They sold at €5,000 each and amassed €6.25m.
Ken Lyons, a member of the IRFU Thomond Park development committee, said: “The ten year tickets are premium stand tickets and the seats are located between both 22 metre lines. Ten year ticket holders get access to three Heineken Cup games and four league games each season. And the holders have options on the purchase of tickets for all other Munster games at Thomond Park and quarter final games at Lansdowne Road.”
It is believed that the remainder of the ten year tickets will be offered to fans once planning permission for the huge project is finalised.
The two new stands at Thomond Park will hold almost 16,000 supporters and the ground will have a capacity of 28,000.
The planning application for the redevelopment has been lodged with Limerick City Council.
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