"Tipperary Venue" off the M8 to transform Two-Mile Borris

Amtmann

IT'S certainly a Quirkey idea: a resort encompassing a huge casino, hotel, world-class racecourse and 02-style concert arena (with retractable roof) all built around a perfect replica of the White House.
And to top it off, businessman Richard Quirke (aka Dr Quirkey, owner of Dublin-based amusement arcades) revealed yesterday that he wants to build this €460m, 800-acre pleasure palace not in Las Vegas but near Two-Mile Borris.
Such a project would change the Co Tipperary village forever.
Yesterday Two-Mile Borris found itself the unlikely target of a quite gargantuan development scheme which threatens to make the most dramatic Celtic Tiger-era building developments look positively puny.
Native
Tipperary native Mr Quirke, who made his fortune running his 'Good Time Emporium' arcade, is behind plans to construct what excited PR people yesterday called an 'Irish Las Vegas' outside Two-Mile Borris which lies just off the new M8.
Details of the project were unveiled yesterday in the Horse and Jockey hotel in Thurles, but despite plenty of local enthusiasm it is unclear if the project will ever go ahead.
If the project went ahead, it would take three years to build, employ 1,000 people through the construction phase and employ 2,000 people afterwards.
Planning applications are to be lodged with North Tipperary County Council today.
The backers have admitted only some of the projected funding is in place, there is no sign of a casino licence and planning permission for the 500-room hotel and other facilities has yet to be achieved.
None of those factors stopped independent TD Michael Lowry speaking on Mr Quirke's behalf yesterday as he revealed the ambitious plans which has the backing of racehorse trainer Aidan O'Brien and concert promoter Denis Desmond.
The involvement of Mr Lowry has set tongues wagging given the Government's need for the support of independent TDs to keep it alive.
Supporting Mr Lowry's local projects could be crucial.
The entire resort, said Mr Lowry, will be "the most sophisticated and ambitious project that Ireland has ever seen" and include a National Hunt race track, greyhound stadium and a golf course.
Mr Quirke, a former garda from Thurles, just a few miles from Two-Mile Borris, has already spent €30m buying up land, and on planning and work already carried out on site.
Commit
He said little yesterday but told one reporter: "I intend to put my monies into this. I wouldn't leave them in a bank or institution and you can understand the reasons why.
"I would commit everything, I would put all of my cards on the table on this one."
Further funding for what will be known as the 'Tipperary Venue' will have to come from other investors and banks, which are currently not lending much money to anyone.
"He already has a number of investors willing to come on board and the reality is that this venture will float on its own commercial merit," claimed Mr Lowry.
The inclusion of an "internationally recognised, world class" casino -- which, like Las Vegas, would be incorporated into a hotel -- could prove contentious despite an expected relaxation of gaming laws in the new year.
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has already signalled an overhaul of legislation currently banning casinos in Ireland.
In another detail reminiscent of Las Vegas, the development will be set around a reconstruction of the White House, as it stood in its original form in 1829.
The replica will be known as The Hoban Memorial after Irishman James Hoban who designed the original Washington building, now world-famous as the seat of US power.
Architect Brian O'Connell, during the course of a detailed presentation, admitted that it's an "ambitious project". The development's proximity to the M8 motorway is another huge advantage.
Meanwhile, Mr Lowry revealed 1,956 documents have been prepared as part of the planning application process.
Fianna Fail councillor for Two-Mile Borris, Seamus Hanafin, told the Irish Independent the plan could be a huge investment in the locality.
"Richard Quirke has showed his credentials in the town -- he has invested here on many occasions -- and I am confident it will go ahead."
Labour councillor John Kennedy was also optimistic it will go ahead. "Mr Quirke is a man of very much experience with his connections in Dublin.
"It is far from a pipe dream -- once he sets his mind to something, he'll do it."
See Sport
- Ciaran Byrne and Denise Clarke
Irish Independent

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/welcome-to-fabulous-las-vegas-co-tipp-1925922.html

Amtmann

Good thread developing here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055722987

L37 fan

Dont think it will go ahead

Amtmann

Why?

L37 fan

Things take tooo long to build in ireland and the recession doesnt help eithier

itsonlywords

Furet wrote: »

[/i]

The entire resort, said Mr Lowry, will be "the most sophisticated and ambitious project that Ireland has ever seen" and include a National Hunt race track, greyhound stadium and a golf course.
Mr Quirke, a former garda from Thurles, just a few miles from Two-Mile Borris, has already spent €30m buying up land, and on planning and work already carried out on site.
quote]
I was always told that Gardai were underpaid and yet Mr. Quirke must have saved hard to amass such wealth................... Good man

ReacherCreature

Furet wrote: »

[/i]


http://www.independent.ie/national-news/welcome-to-fabulous-las-vegas-co-tipp-1925922.html

I've no clue about some of this but I'm just wondering -

a resort encompassing a huge casino, hotel, world-class racecourse and 02-style concert arena (with retractable roof) all built around a perfect replica of the White House.

Will 460m be actually enough?

Is Two-Mile Boris a proper site? Transport, population etc.?

Amtmann

ReacherCreacher, I suggest you check out the thread in the Infrastructure forum for both positive and negative commentary.

I think the choice of location is actually excellent: upon full completion of the M8 next summer, it will be only one hour from the Red Cow and one hour from the Jack Lynch Tunnel.

archtech

i could see the race course and other sporting elements getting the green light from the planners, however as for the concert venue casino and possibly the hotel definitely not as the development is dependant on car transport, unless there's a proposal to bring a light rail system from thurles to the site.

Amtmann

Plenty of car spaces are planned, and presumably bus bays too. A park and ride could be arranged from Thurles Station as well.

ReacherCreature

Furet wrote: »

ReacherCreacher, I suggest you check out the thread in the Infrastructure forum for both positive and negative commentary.

I think the choice of location is actually excellent: upon full completion of the M8 next summer, it will be only one hour from the Red Cow and one hour from the Jack Lynch Tunnel.

Interesting link Furet. There seems to be an awful lot of 'against' comments though.

I'd like to see more news on it as soon as it gets going.

archtech

Furet wrote: »

Plenty of car spaces are planned, and presumably bus bays too. A park and ride could be arranged from Thurles Station as well.

so providing plenty of car parking spaces in a concern venue that is car dependant is acceptable in terms of sustainable development.

obviously we have learnt nothing from the celtic tiger era, if that is the case.

Amtmann

archtech wrote: »

so providing plenty of car parking spaces in a concern venue that is car dependant is acceptable in terms of sustainable development.

obviously we have learnt nothing from the celtic tiger era, if that is the case.

I cannot agree. We built motorways to revolutionise transport and connectivity in this country. The M8 is doing that. As a motorway, it is the most efficient type of road possible, and one, I might add, that is operating at well below design capacity. Now, if the developers were proposing a sprawling housing estate or retail park on the site, then I'd have to agree wholeheartedly with you. But this is very different. Cars will drive to it, sure; but only on appointed days, when events take place, making one journey to, and one journey from, presumably with each containing multiple passengers. And what's more, the majority of cars will get there on the motorway, which limits emissions and bottlenecks and traffic jams. Furthermore the nearby presense of Thurles Train Station means that public transport from Cork and Dublin and Limerick Junction would be a viable option, intandem with a shuttle bus service. What more could one ask for? Almost all the site's power needs will come from renewable energy sources: in fact, an application was lodged for an extension of the large windfarm at Two-Mile Borris recently.