REVEALED: Plans for what might be Ireland's first ever winter sports arena are announced

Details have finally been revealed for the first of its kind winter sports arena, set to be located in Cherrywood, South Dublin. 

The new Dublin Arena will aim to enhance local sporting and recreational facilities.

Developed at a highly prominent Cherrywood location, the arena will feature two Olympic-sized ice rinks, a 5,000-seat / 8,000-standing capacity for events and a 1,500-capacity conference space. The project is believed to cost about €190 million in total. 

Planning on being an enduring home for Irish winter sports, the country’s first permanent ice rinks will serve as a training facility for Irish athletes, from elite to casual. The facility will also be home to the country's first professional ice hockey franchise.

Designed by DMOD Architects and supported by a team of experts, the arena will bring significant social, economic and cultural benefits to the area.

According to Prime Arena Holdings, the company behind the project, the Dublin Arena will deliver substantial economic, societal and health benefits to the local community. 

Over one million annual visitors are anticipated which will then contribute over €230 million to the local economy through year round attractions, countering tourism seasonality. 

Dublin Arena also hopes to enhance, develop, and diversify Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown’s tourism offering, supporting the night-time economy and reducing coastal area congestion.

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It will also drive Dun Laoghaire and Cherrywood as an international destination, contributing over 200,000 bed nights to hotels and the local economy, helping to create a strong, distinguishable tourism brand for the area.

It will also provide one of the largest gala dinner venues in Ireland, with capacity to deliver 1,500 seater events, significantly enhancing Dublin's attractiveness for international conferences and events.

The new arena is expected to create approximately 80 full-time jobs and provide over 1,600 part-time employment sessions. Furthermore, the construction and planning phases will support nearly 400 direct jobs. 

Year-round access for all ages and abilities to new sports will help promote physical activity and sports participation and aligning to figures globally, 75% of skaters will be under 18 years’ old with the majority being female; this opens up new pathways to physical activity. 

The two rinks will enable a new professional franchise for ice hockey, while the second will be publicly available all year round, enabling the establishment of new amateur clubs and collegiate ice hockey, as well as a range of other inclusive ice-based winter sports for athletes and participants at all levels of ability. 

With a focus on energy efficiency, waste heat from ice-making has the potential to heat over 1,000 local homes, reducing carbon emissions and household costs.

The location is also optimised for non-car-based transport, with excellent accessibility via bus, Luas (with two nearby stops), and active travel options. It is also car and coach-friendly, with access via the M50 and N11 junctions, as well as the nearby Dublin Bus Terminus.

The Arena will complement the established sporting, leisure and recreational facilities at Cherrywood and will overall aim to be a beacon of community engagement, promoting economic growth, health benefits and sustainability while ensuring minimal environmental impact.