THE International Rugby Experience (IRE), which opened to much fanfare just 16 months ago, will close its doors for the final time today (December 23).
The landmark red-brick building on O’Connell Street opened in May 2023, and was the brainchild of Adare Manor owner JP McManus, who invested €30m in the award-winning build.
It was initially planned that the IRE would be gifted to the people of Limerick, but talks between representatives from the IRE and Limerick City and County Council fell apart in October of this year.
The IRE said today, its last day in operation, that it has contributed €9million to the local economy since it opened, with over 7,000 people visiting the experience in recent weeks to see Santa at Santa’s Secret Workshop.
The closure has been marked as “profoundly disappointing” by an IRE spokesperson, who confirmed again that “we close the doors of the International Rugby Experience (IRE) today, 23rd December 2024.”
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to every team member who worked tirelessly on growing all aspects of the business, and to the tens of thousands of visitors who walked through its doors.”
The spokesman added that over 60,000 people visited Limerick to take in the IRE since it opened in May 2023, including international visitors from 31 countries.
The experience also worked with a number of local businesses and suppliers while it was open.
“We worked with over 200 suppliers locally and regionally, including artisan crafts producers who supplied our store, as well as photographers, printers, media outlets and facilities management companies, amongst many others,” a statement from the IRE on the day of its closure read.
“In our short time in the heart of Limerick, it has been our great pleasure to contribute to the city and its communities.”
