-Better late than never, as they say, some 135 years after Willoughby Hamilton and Lena Rice pulled off an historic men's and women's singles sweep for Ireland at Wimbledon, Tennis Ireland has announced plans to open the country's first indoor tennis arena.
The long-abandoned Dundalk Ice Dome — once home to the Dundalk Bulls ice hockey team — will be reborn as a year-round tennis hub under a 20-year tenancy agreement.
Set to open in summer 2025, the arena will boast four state-of-the-art courts, built-in spectator seating and elite-level training facilities aimed at transforming the fortunes of Irish tennis.
The facility will leave Europe's seventh-wettest country with one indoor tennis court per 1.33 million people -- a start, but far fewer than their neighbours.
The United Kingdom has approximately 2,000 indoor tennis courts, equating to one indoor court for every 33,500 people, while France boasts 9,741 indoor courts (one per 6,500 people).
While Ireland's glory days on the tennis court date back to the era of flowing skirts, long white trousers and catgut-strung wooden rackets, the sport's governing body is hopeful the new facility can breathe fresh life into the sport on the Emerald Isle.
"This is a landmark moment," Tennis Ireland CEO Kevin Quinn told the Irish Independent.
"By revitalising the former Dundalk Ice Dome, we are not only preserving a vital community space but also creating a world-class tennis facility that will serve players and enthusiasts across the island."
The projectmarks a strategic move to raise the game’s profile nationwide, aligning with long-term ambitions to boost participation, nurture elite talent and position Ireland on the map as a destination for international tennis events.
Tennis Leinster Performance Director John McGahon, a former Davis Cup stalwart, will spearhead plans at the site.
"This project has been a labour of love," he said.
"It's about giving young players the opportunities many never had — year-round access to world-class facilities, right here in Dundalk."
(Reporting by Ossian Shine; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
