LIMERICK BILLIONAIRE JP McManus has donated the International Rugby Experience (IRE) Centre to his native council.
The museum is expected to attract 100,000 visitors to Limerick each year and now will be owned and operated by the council.
The 30,000sq ft six-storey centre was funded by a €30m investment by the JP McManus Charitable Foundation.
The likes of Johnny Sexton, Martin Johnson, Sean Fitzpatrick, Bryan Habana, Joy Neville, Matt Dawson, Danielle Waterman, and Fracnois Pienaar all attended the big opening in May last year.
Both parties have signed the terms and the transition will begin once due diligence is complete.
Discover Limerick DAC, a subsidiary of the council, will oversee the day-to-day operations of the museum while it will continue to be managed by the original team.
Deputy chief executive of Limerick City and County Council, Gordon Daly hopes the donation will be a huge boost to Limerick tourism.
He said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the council to add International Rugby Experience to our existing successful tourist attractions – King Johns Castle, Lough Gur, Limerick Greenway and Adare Heritage Centre – and build stronger synergies to drive tourism development and promotion in Limerick.
“We are working closely with the International Rugby Experience to advance the due diligence process and commence the transition.”
IRE chief executive Barry Hannon added that O’Connell St, where the museum is located, has been revitalised over the past year.
He said: “The IRE has truly become the public and civic building we sought to create and this next stage of the journey in public ownership will protect the building’s legacy, outlasting us all for generations.”
The fully immersive, multi-sensory experience is inspired by World Rugby’s values of ‘passion, discipline, integrity, solidarity and respect’.
The building was designed by renowned architect Níall McLaughlin.
The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) awarded the IRE as the winner of the Public Choice category at the Irish Architecture Awards 2023.
It has since been recognised internationally for its design and structure.
The ground floor retail space, first floor cafe and event spaces will also come under the remit of the local authority.