Cork remains crucial to Munster despite new Limerick focus

The Munster team may eventually be based solely in Limerick but provincial branch chiefs have underlined their commitment to Cork and the rest of the province as it prepares for construction to be begin on its single training base.

Having finally made the leap after years of prevarication to end the dual training set-ups in Cork and Limerick, Munster’s decision two years ago on where to locate the single base for the professional team was always going to upset parties elsewhere. By electing to build a new, state-of-the-art training centre at the University of Limerick rather than in Cork, there were fears that the larger population centre was being rebuffed.

Planning permission has now been submitted for the project and UL will build the training centre on its campus and then rent it exclusively to Munster over a long-term period, believed to be 15 years and up, the team and academy moving in for July 2016.