THE Mayor of the City and County of Limerick is congratulating JP McManus for delivering a world class tourist attraction in the heart of Limerick city.

The €30 million International Rugby Experience is housed in a six-storey high visually striking building on Limerick’s O’Connell Street.

It was the brainchild of Limerick philanthropist JP McManus and is funded through the JP McManus Benevolent Fund.

Some of the biggest names in the game attended the official opening of the attraction this Tuesday afternoon, including All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick, Bryan Habana of South Africa, former England captain Martin Johnson and current Ireland captain Jonathan Sexton.

An economic impact study has estimated that within five years, the International Rugby Experience will bring €50 million in tourism revenue to Limerick and the Mid-West Region.

Commenting following the official opening, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Francis Foley said: "The International Rugby Experience is an exciting new attraction for our city offering visitors another reason to come and explore all that Limerick has to offer. I want to congratulate JP McManus and his team for delivering this ambitious project. The iconic building is here in the home of Munster Rugby but the experience is truly international and can be enjoyed by anyone. That will make it appealing to sports fans from Limerick, Ireland and the world.”

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The Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council, Dr Pat Daly added: "This is a fantastic gift to Limerick from JP McManus and his family. Coupled with King John’s Castle the International Rugby Experience bookends the tourist offering in the city centre. The interactive experience helps to build on Limerick’s reputation as a sports tourism destination. The building manages to be eye-catching while also complementing the existing streetscape. Well done to everyone who turned this concept into a reality.”

Our reporter Meghann Scully has been speaking with Keith Wood who is a member of the advisory board behind the project (watch the video above).