€250m state-of-the-art sports arena set to be built in Dublin

This is huge!

The stadium will have an ice hockey rink and will be Ireland's first dedicated winter sports and entertainment arena boasting an 8,000 plus seated capacity.

Announced back in April, the plan is fully backed by the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

The proposed development will be located on an eight-acre site in Cherrywood, south Dublin.

Although pre-planning application has been submitted, a full application is expected to be sent in July.

The arena would serve purpose as the home of Ireland's first ice hockey franchise. The team would participate in the Elite Ice Hockey League in the UK.

CEO of Prime Arena Holdings, Dermot Rigley is leading the consortium that includes Setanta and Premier Sports founder Mickey O'Rourke and music promoter Denis Desmond.

Rigley has confirmed the project will require government funding however with "very positive conversations" happening.

The CEO said: "Since 2021, we've been working quietly but relentlessly with an incredible team to bring this vision to life - and today, we’re proud to finally share it with the Irish public.

"With the support of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Hines, we’re building more than an arena - we’re creating a national landmark that will open up winter sports to every corner of Irish society, empower our athletes, and give Ireland the platform it deserves to host world-class events."

On the inspiration behind the ambitious project, Rigley compared it to arena's overseas, "The best way to think about this is like a scaled-down Madison Square Garden. Ultimately, what the theme will feel like is that North American entertainment experience."

The project is backed by the Olympic Federation of Ireland as athletes are set to use the arena as a training facility ahead of the Winter Olympics.

On hopes of keeping the project moving in the right direction, Rigley finished saying: "We’ve got our site. We’ve got our pre-planning in, and our planning application is on schedule. So, fingers crossed, it keeps going in this direction."