Limerick Greyhound Stadium

@CologneMike wrote:

€8.6m Greyhound Stadium Contract Awarded

Irish Construction Industry 29th May 2009

The €8.6 m contract to construct the new €15m greyhound stadium in Limerick has been awarded to John Sisk & Son Ltd.

The Irish Greyhound Board awarded contract for what will be the largest construction project starting in the south-west this year this week.

The project consists of the construction of a new five-storey Greyhound Racing Stadium and track, which will be similar in size, scope and complexity to Cork Greyhound Stadium.

The scheme will comprise of restaurant / dining areas, tiered viewing areas, bar concourses, kennel block, shop storage areas.

A new three-storey Headquarters Office Building attached to the Stadium is also to be constructed to house the Irish Greyhound Board.

When the project was announced last year, the Irish Greyhound Board said the scheme will create 250 construction jobs.

The stadium is due for completion in September 2010.

More than 100 permanent jobs will be created at the new stadium, which will also become home to the headquarters of the Irish Greyhound board.

“The original plans approved by the Irish Greyhound Board in 2005 have been updated to accommodate greater building and environmental efficiency,” Adrian Neilan, IGB Chief Executive said at the time.

“This stadium will be right on the cutting edge of sports and leisure building and will reflect the confidence generated within our sport in recent years,” he added.

John J Casey and Company was appointed as project manager for the construction of the new Limerick Greyhound Stadium in 2008.

is this the one thats going to be on the dock road? or am i thinking of a different project?

Limerick Racecourse Plc

07470

Greyhound racing stadium and ancillary development works, car parking, lighting, landscaping and access works all on a site of 6.6 Ha. The track will be a 500m Greyhound track (480m internal circumference/510m external circumference), it will provide stadia viewing, dining area, kennel block, shop storage areas and office buildings. Site levels will be increased to accommodate the proposed development so that the proposed FFL (Final Floor Level) of the stadium will be 4.5 OD. The track will generally be at a level of 4.2 aOD and the final height of the stadium building will be 16.1m with additional roof support poles of 9.7m. Filling of the lands over an infrastructure way leave is also proposed. The facility will provide for 510 car, 54 greyhound trainer vehicles and 3 coach parking spaces around the stadium will access onto and from the Dock Road via the permitted internal access which will require detail changes. The proposed will also allow for the construction of a roundabout on this internal access road to access the northeast end of the stadium site. An Environmental Impact Statement accompanies this application and will be available for inspection or purchase at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy.

Development Address: Former Greenpark Racecourse, Dock Road

Curiously it was the Limerick Racecourse Plc that made the original planning application and not Bord na gCon. :confused:

NEW €15M LIMERICK GREYHOUND STADIUM ON SITE (Hamilton Architects)

The construction of a new €15 million ‘Flagship’ greyhound stadium has just started on site (May 2009) and involves the relocation of the existing racing facilities to a 12 acre green-field site on the outskirts of Limerick.

Strategically linked to the new 15,000 sqft Headquarter Offices of the Irish Greyhound Board, the new stadium is envisaged to become the Board’s ‘Flagship’ stadium.

With almost 2,000 spectators located over four storeys the stadium has been designed so that all levels are directly interconnected thus allowing the bustling atmosphere to permeate all levels.

Large double height spaces have been strategically located to provide good vantage points for ‘big-screen’ viewing and provide good connectivity, orientation and legibility throughout entire building.

The project is due for completion in June 2010.

I see that they have been on site since February.

Hey Hamilton Architects have added a bit of colour to the images above without changing the urls. 😎

Below is what I originally posted.

The renders for this project look great, the facilities seem top notch aswell. It’s going to be an excellent facility for the city in the coming years.

Its another world entirely compared to the Markets Field!:o

Thanks Tuborg, not to knock down Hamiltons at all, but just to clarify, shove media (of Liverpool and Limerick) created the latest 3d visual, I belive that there’s going to be a big sign on the dockroad anytime soon, although they have filled the sign wiht everybody else’s logo, and left a small space for the image.. shame….

we’re still building these ?

@lostexpectation wrote:

we’re still building these ?

Listening to Gus Ryan’s (Retiring Track Manager) audio on live95fm . . . . . .

. . . . . Ah no, once it had started that was my main achievement if you like to put it that way, to keep the pressure on that it would be built and so if a person who wants to walk off his turkey on Christmas Day, have a walk down by the Dock road and I’m quite sure that three storeys of the stand will be up. 😉

Construction Photo’s ~ October 9th

Incidentally, does anyone here know anything about some subsidence that is alleged to have happened on site in the last few weeks? I’ve heard stories about defective fill material and more worryingly, problems with underground drainage channels!

where is this site?

Its on the dock road Dave… on the edge of the old race course
recent pic from the dock road…

Construction Progress

Some photos below from m a n a b o u t d o g b l o g (March 2010).

See also the Irish Greyhound Board photo gallery for more up to date but smaller in size ones.

New Limerick greyhound stadium is on track to bring in crowds (Limerick Leader)

By Mike Dwane

WITH just under two weeks to go to the grand opening of the €18 million, 2,900-capacity Limerick Greyhound Stadium on the Dock Road, management is reporting a healthy interest in the new venue for benefit nights and social occasions.

Olivia O’Sullivan, PRO of the Young Munster women’s team, said that in the new track, she has found the “perfect” venue for an upcoming fashion show and fundraiser.

Despite winning AIL honours with Young Munster’s rivals Shannon, Limerick Greyhound Stadium’s commercial and operations manager Declan O’Halloran said he was delighted to give Olivia the full guided tour of hospitality facilities ahead of opening night on October 8.

“I was really curious to come out and see for myself what everyone has been talking about and I haven’t been disappointed,” said Olivia.

“What I have found is a perfect entertainment venue, with large capacity, loads of natural light and most importantly an efficient team on the ground, led by Declan, who are so encouraging and helpful as we plan our fundraiser.

“The fact that everyone is so curious to see the new Limerick Greyhound Stadium will add to our special night and I am so looking forward to bringing our fashion event here in November.”

Limerick Greyhound Stadium boasts a 190-seat restaurant, private hospitality suites and gallery bars.

Anybody got up to date images?

New Limerick ready to open. (m a n a b o u t d o g b l o g)

Was at the NEW Limerick Greyhound Stadium last night for an official trials session. The new track in the Dock Road is all but complete and ready to open, on target, a week tomorrow.

I brought in Bantiss Domino for a qualifying trial and in her first look at the track she clocked an unexpectedly quick 29.59 when winning her trial by about 10 lengths. She caught me out it’s fair to say, but the track was running very well. 2 trials before us Skywalker Queen, 2009 Irish Oaks winner, went around in 28.48.

What can I say about the place? It’s a dog man’s dream. The track is as big a gallop as I have seen at a greyhound stadium, with the opening 2 bends in particular extremely fair with dogs able to pass on the inside or outside.

There seems to have been some input from owners into the design of the facilities for dogs and owners as little touches were noticeable such as ‘easy open’ gates onto and off the racing circuit, washdown facilities second to none just at the pick-up, and of course state of the art kennels which are being installed today.

In order for everything to go to plan on the big night (lets face it there will always be snags), the stadium is holding a soft opening, or dress rehearsal, next Monday night where 4 ‘trial races’ will take place under full race night conditions. Photo finish equipment will be in operation, fast food and bar sections will be opened, and dogs will race as if it were the real thing.

Congratulations to the Irish Greyhound Board for creating what looks to me like a longtail paradise…and within budget and on time too!

Nice preview from m a n a b o u t d o g b l o g ~ It’s a dog man’s dream. 😉

Fine for the people going greyhound racing.

But the idea of being able to raise €20 million for something that is essentially
supported by gambling yet not able to raise a small fraction of this for a
theatre / concert hall . . . .

This really tells us a bit about the spiritual space that we occupy here in Limerick,

@teak wrote:

Fine for the people going greyhound racing.

But the idea of being able to raise €20 million for something that is essentially
supported by gambling yet not able to raise a small fraction of this for a
theatre / concert hall . . . .

This really tells us a bit about the spiritual space that we occupy here in Limerick,

If you look a bit closer, Limerick could positively surprise you. 🙂

Two shots taken by Sparky from outside the track.

@teak wrote:

Fine for the people going greyhound racing.

But the idea of being able to raise €20 million for something that is essentially
supported by gambling yet not able to raise a small fraction of this for a
theatre / concert hall . . . .

This really tells us a bit about the spiritual space that we occupy here in Limerick,

Unfortunately, theatre isn’t remotely as popular in this country because it doesn’t involve cruelty to living things.

@rumpelstiltskin wrote:

Unfortunately, theatre isn’t remotely as popular in this country because it doesn’t involve cruelty to living things.

Neither does greyhound racing?
Not on the track at least

Unfortunately, theatre isn’t remotely as popular in this country because it doesn’t involve cruelty to living things.

Theatre hasn’t the same attraction as the dogs for the excitement-seeking brigade.

But to say that theatre runs a poor second to greyhound racing amongst all kinds
of people is to generate yet another negative self-fulfilling prophesy.
And we have enough of them.

Why not have more of a Field of Dreams approach to building arts’ venues . . . .
🙂

Ahhh now a night at the dogs is fun… a night at the theatre is angst-ridden drama