Massive Dundalk Leisure Plans Revealed

Ambitious plans for a proposed €430m leisure development close to the border have been announced.

If approved, the all-weather sports centre would be built on a 29-acre site just off the M1 Dublin-Belfast motorway at Dowdallshill, Dundalk.

Altitude snow sports and leisure centre developers said the project could create up to 1,500 jobs.

The planned facility includes ski and nursery slopes, a 100-plus bed family hostel, 110,000 square foot indoor concert arena, cinema, tenpin bowling and children’s zone, 40,000 square foot surf and swim centre, sports and leisure stores, restaurants and bars.

Proposals for later phases of the scheme include additional hotel accommodation and the international casino.

Developer Sam Curran said: "The elements we will provide are not available at any other single site in Ireland or the UK, while many of the individual parts also have no direct comparison here at present."

Mr Current said extensive work has been undertaken over the last 30 months to finetune the planning application.

"We looked closely at facilities in the UK, mainland Europe, Asia and North America, and the experience is that people are willing to travel to enjoy this type of attraction once it is hitting the right price range and what is on offer is regularly refreshed and added to."

Developers expect to attract around six million people to the complex every year.

It is hoped work on the project, which is not reliant on Irish banks, could commence as early as next year.

Innovative Leisure Systems will lodge a planning application with Louth County Council within the next month.

(PR/BMcC)