Construction contract is signed for surfing centre of excellence in Strandhill
THE delivery of the National Surf Centre of Excellence in Strandhill took a major step forward last week with the signing of the construction contract.
The €2.7m facility has been funded by Sligo County Council, Failte Ireland and the Department of Rural Community and Development.
It will be built by Arken Construction Ltd, Collooney and Norris Plant Hire Ltd, Ballisodare.
The facility will be a used by local, national and international surfers and will cater for those providing advanced surfing training up to international standard, including video analysis equipment, training rooms and virtual surfing experience.
The centre will also include an interpretative display of the history of surfing in Ireland and the many local tourist attractions. It will also provide a central meeting and promotional point for local tourism businesses, including walking tours and adventure providers.
Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Councillor Paul Taylor said it was “a hugely important project for our Council and our community”. “Strandhill is already recognised as a prime surfing destination and this facility will further enhance
An artist’s image of what the new surf centre at Strandhill will look like. its reputation on the national and international stage. Our objective to promote Sligo as a key tourism hub receives a major boost with this development,” he said.
Local Fine Gael TD and Minister of State at the Department of Health Frank Feighan attended the contract signing at County Hall on behalf of government colleague Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys.
He said that this project was “truly a significant boost for the community of Standhill and the Sligo region as it puts Sligo on the map as the surfing centre of Ireland bringing visitors from across Europe and the US”.
Chair of Strandhill Community Maritime Company Cllr Declan Bree described the centre as “a flagship project for Sligo and the region”.
“The delivery of the centre is due to the exceptional partnership of the surfing community and the people of Strandhill community who have worked with the County Council and the funding agencies. This facility will be the best of its kind in the country and will attract great interest from local and visiting surfers,” he said. The signing was also attended by director of product development for Fáilte Ireland Orla Carroll.
She said Fáilte Ireland was pleased to be collaborating with Sligo County Council on the development of the centre and investing just over €1.35m into the project.
She went on: “The new National Surfing Centre of Excellence will aid the development of tourism in Strandhill by providing state-ofthe-art services and facilities for surfing schools, surf visitors and others, helping to support the recovery of the industry in Sligo post Covid-19. “Ireland has huge potential to develop as a world-class surfing destination and this centre will be a key new visitor experience on the Wild Atlantic Way, growing visitor numbers and increasing dwell time in the region.”
She said the centre will serve a number of important functions, including becoming a flagship facility on the Wild Atlantic Way for surfing and water sports and creating a hub for tourism in Strandhill and Co. Sligo where visitors can find information, orientation and experiences. Acting Sligo County Council chief executive Tom Kilfeather said the signing of the contract for the centre is the latest in a series of major capital investments in the county. Mr Kilfeather paid tribute to the project team, the chair and members of the Maritime Board, Failte Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development for their hard work and expertise in bringing it to fruition.