Any hope for new bike parks in Ireland?

The problem isn't that there is no demand, there is plenty of it. The issue is that insurance costs to run a bikepark are insane, this is the reason that bikepark Ireland had to close down along with numerous other adventure sporting facilities around the country. Until they fix the insurance problem, it's very unlikely we will see any new bikeparks opening around the country.

Sadly, yes. The insurance industry is badly broken here. The payouts are ridiculously high which has brought about a claims culture and it's forcing numerous businesses to close down. Bike park Ireland couldn't even get a quote as far as I know. What we're left with is just tame dumbed down boring coillte trail centres and locally built unsanctioned trails that could be destroyed by the landowners at any time they decide to harvest the trees in the area.

Waivers aren't worth the paper they are printed on in Ireland unfortunately. If you sign a waiver and you get injured, there is nothing legally stopping you submitting a claim, there are a lot of ambulance chasing solicitors who are encouraging this behaviour because the claimant has nothing to lose. They know the insurance company will opt to pay out 99 times out of 100 because it's cheaper than fighting it in court and then they just pass on the cost to the customer in higher premiums. FYI, there was a tragedy at bikepark Ireland some years ago so it's definitely not without risk.

I think the difference there is that if you injure yourself snowboarding, you claim off your own insurance. In Ireland if you injure yourself at a bike park, you can claim off the bikepark's insurance for negligence etc and that is what's crippling them.

In New Zealand you sign a waiver and it's legally binding, you accept responsibility for the risks of the sport you're about to undertake and it's up to you to get your own insurance as it should be.

This is the real problem with the legal system and the insurance industry in this country.

Disclaimers or waiver are in effect useless pieces of paper, as is cycling Ireland insurance.

There's a difference between being negligence on behalf of the bike park (or other services) and personal responsibility, but if someone has an accident CI insurance is useless unless 3rd party, so the injured party will try claiming form the owner, insurance company's usual just pays out as its cheaper the trying to defend it in court.

Every year I question the benefits paying CI insurance but still end up paying it anyway.

My understanding and I'm open to correction is more to do with a group spin where to the best of my knowledge member to member 3rd party is not included. If you have a leisure licence you need to make sure to add on insurance €10 extra. This does cover personal accident to a limited claim. But you would be claiming from your own insurance. It does cover a sole ride only if its part of training.

Maybe, if your in a group spin, I will only cover personal accident to max €2500, with €250 excess, and as I mentioned in earlier post, it doesn't cover member to member.

From CI Web site

"This covers a member for any third party liability or property damage for which they are held legally liable. (a third party is a person not accredited with membership of Cycling Ireland) when you are training, competing or officiating in an approved Cycling Ireland activity. (a €500 excess applies to each claim, to be paid by claimant). There is no cover in respect of any injury or damage suffered by one participant caused by another participant during training activities (please note members can still claim the personal accident cover above in this case)."

I'd still prefer to have it than not have it, but it's not very good really, certainly not as good as most people would think

How many kilometres of trails are opem down there now? Might take a spin down over the Christmas.