THE €30million International Rugby Experience (IRE) building, which closed its doors in December after just 16 months in operation, has been left as a “white elephant”, according to Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea.
In April of last year, it was announced that the 30,000sq/ft building and its entire operations were to be gifted to Limerick City and County Council, with Discover Limerick DAC to oversee its day-to-day operations.
The multi-million euro IRE was first opened in May 2023, described as the brainchild of billionaire JP McManus and fronted by Munster Rugby legend Paul O’Connell.
It is understood that 18 local jobs were lost when it closed for the final time on December 23.
As of this moment, the building remains in the ownership of the billionaire horse racing mogul, who owns a string of other properties including the five-star Adare Manor hotel and spa resort set to host the Ryder Cup golf tournament in 2027.
It was initially planned that the IRE would be gifted to the people of Limerick, but talks between representatives from the IRE and the Council fell apart in October.
Now, Fianna Fáil’s Willie O’Dea has called on the Council to renew their efforts to find a solution for the award-winning landmark building, that was to be gifted to them by the JP McManus Charitable Foundation.
“We have to remember that the details of this extremely generous philanthropic gift from JP and Noreen McManus were agreed in December 2023 and a Heads of Terms agreement was signed in March 2024,” Deputy O’Dea said.
“The Council say that their consultants claimed that the IRE would continue to be a loss maker, but this claim has been challenged. We must remember that the Council were also being gifted €1.2million in operational funding, which meant that not one cent of Council money was required to run the Rugby Experience for the next three years and then they could use the building for any civic purpose of their choosing from 2028.”
Limerick Mayor John Moran, around the time of the IRE closure announcement last October, suggested that the €1.2m gift from the JP McManus Charitable Foundation would not be enough to keep the attraction afloat and “several hundred thousand more” would be needed – a suggestion that was contested by the IRE at the time.
The Mayor also made an offer in November of €100,000 per year over the next three years from his mayoral fund to bring the IRE back to the negotiating table and keep the attraction afloat, which was declined.
Deputy O’Dea pointed out that, in a letter to Taoiseach Simon Harris last September, Mayor Moran requested €50m funding for a Museum of Gaming and other tourist draws, yet the Council “turned down a free €30million building”.
“There appears to be little logic to the Council’s thinking,” he criticised.
“The IRE has brought over 60,000 people to Limerick City since May 2023. Over 7,000 people came to visit Santa’s Secret Workshop alone, and these families significantly added to the spend in the city centre and to the atmosphere in Limerick at Christmas time.
“During its operation, the IRE claims to have contributed €9million to the local economy and worked with over 200 suppliers locally and regionally, including artisan crafts producers who supplied their store.”
The Fianna Fáil TD claimed that “many Munster supporters were asking me the future of the building on Saturday night after the match. I believe that the Council have an obligation to secure the future of this landmark building for the citizens of Limerick.”
There was no response from Limerick City and County Council on Deputy O’Dea’s statement at the time of going to print.
