Tag Archives: Thomond Park

THE past couple of months has seen plenty of activity at St Anne’s Special School in Ennis. As part of an Xcessible Youth Sport Initiative, the school has teamed up with Ennis Rugby Club to introduce tag rugby to some of their students. The initiative was held under the auspices of Munster Rugby and culminated with students and staff heading to Thomond Park to take on other schools who have also taken part in the programme throughout Munster. Donal McMahon was charged with running the programme on behalf of the local rugby club and had nothing but praise for all involved. “I was amazed at the enthusiasm and the skills which the students showed during the initiative. They were so quick to pick up the basic techniques and, obviously, enjoyed the programme. We had lots of fun and it was a hugely enjoyable project to be associated with. “Ennis Rugby Club has always been pro-active in teaming up with charities …

An injury to his left foot during a training session in July 2013 has finally caught up with Munster’s Damien Varley. The 31-year-old hooker has three caps for Ireland and made 121 appearances for the province, scoring 12 tries. Damien, who lives near Killaloe, has only made one substitute appearance for the province this season in the victory over Leinster in October. He underwent surgery three months ago on the injury but has decided to retire after exhausting all possible avenues to a return. He played club rugby with Garryowen before joining the Munster set-up. He joined London Wasps in 2008 but returned to Munster the following year and shared in some of the provinces greatest moments. He started in Munster’s historic win over Australia in Thomond Park in November 2010 and was the starting hooker in the province’s Magners League winning Grand Final against Leinster in May 2011. Varley first represented Ireland against Australia in June 2010, and his …

A landmark hotel in the Mid-West, the Limerick Strand Hotel, has been bought by an internationally known US investor for a figure in excess of €20m. The purchaser, Irish-American billionaire, John Malone is chairman of Liberty Global and also owns the Discovery Channel, UPC and several other global cable providers and is also the largest landowner in the US, with holdings of over 2.1m acres. The sale was confirmed in a joint statement issued by CBRE and Savills hotel groups. Built from new in 2007, the 4 star Limerick Strand, situated on the Ennis Road, overlooks the River Shannon and is a short stroll to Limerick’s main shopping area. This award winning hotel is highly regarded as an excellent base for all of Limericks major sporting events, as it is also within walking distance from the Gaelic Grounds and even closer to the world famous Thomond Park. The hotel features 184 bedrooms, several bars and restaurants, extensive conference and banqueting …

A well-known South East  Clare hotel has been purchased by an Irish hotel investment company, iNua Hospitality, for €3.5 million. The sale of the Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa, which was made on behalf of joint receivers, Kieran Wallace and Niall Macklin, highlights the appeal investors currently see in the hospitality sector. Headed up by financier Noel Creedon, iNua Hospitality’s acquisition of the hotel is an addition to the company’s expanding portfolio of Radisson Blu Hotels, given their recent purchase of Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa in Little Island, Cork. “We are very pleased with this second acquisition, which has significant synergies with our Little Island property. We are excited about the development potential for this asset and we look forward to working with the staff and team in Limerick,” said Noel Creedon. iNua Hospitality CFO, John O’Brien, said, “We have now established iNua Hospitality as a key player in the industry. The purchase of both Radisson Blu Hotels in …

CLARE sports tourism interests can learn how they can get a slice of the €450bn global  sport tourism industry in a major think-tank with international experts set for Limerick next May. The inaugural European Sport Tourism Summit, which will take place at Thomond Park Stadium on Thursday May 15, will also deliver recommendations that will be presented to Government regarding how Ireland can increase its share of the fastest growing sector in the global travel industry. Organised by W2 Consulting, the Shannon Airport sponsored event, will be attended by over 400 delegates drawn from local authorities, sports bodies, federations, clubs, charity organisations and communities here and abroad. Tourism facts: 35% of domestic tourism in Ireland is attributable to sport Over 30 different sports are participated in Ireland each year The Emerald Isle Classic American Football match at the Aviva Stadium in 2012 was worth an estimated €100m alone to the economy In the UK, the average football fan visiting for …