Tipperary project gets green light

An Bord Pleanala has given the go-ahead for the construction of a €460 million "Las Vegas-style" sports and leisure complex in Co Tipperary.

The 800-acre Tipperary Venue, close to the village of Two-Mile-Borris, will include a 500-bedroom, five-star hotel, a 6,000sq m casino, an all-weather racecourse, a greyhound track and a golf course.

The site, which is located off the M8 Dublin-Cork motorway, will also feature a full-size replica of the White House in Washington which will be used as "a banqueting facility" and to host wedding receptions.

Planning permission for a 15,000-capacity underground entertainment centre was refused by An Bord Pleanála as it was deemed "inappropriate".

North Tipperary County Council granted planning permission for the project last year but the case was appealed to the board by some local residents and An Taisce.

Concerns included the level of traffic which would be generated by the venue, along with noise, carbon emissions, helicopter use, its distance from public transport and the sustainability of such a large-scale development.

An estimated 1,000 jobs will be created in building the facility while between 1,350 and 2,000 full-time positions are envisaged once the complex is opened.

The Tipperary Venue is the brainchild of developer Richard Quirke, a former garda from Thurles who is best known for running Dr Quirkey’s Good Time Emporium gaming arcade on Dublin’s O’Connell Street. In a brief statement, Mr Quirke welcomed today's announcement.

The decision was also welcomed by Independent TD for Tipperary North, Michael Lowry, who said the complex would generate "enormous economic activity and create thousands of sustainable jobs.

"All involved with the Tipperary venue are heartened and encouraged by An Bord Pleanála’s ruling. There is a renewed commitment and determination to make this exciting development a reality," he added.

Architect Brian O’Connell said today the group behind the project would now be seeking to move to the next stages of development, which include land acquisitions.

He added that the group would also be applying to An Bord Pleanala to modify and extend the complex in order to create a world-class equestrian centre with open and closed arenas and a polo field.