Padel in Ireland has received a major boost with the announcement of government funding for seven tennis clubs to add padel courts to their facilities.
The grant allocations are part of a €230m package to boost Irish grassroots sports infrastructure called the Community Sports Facilities Fund.
There are currently more than 50 courts in Ireland with many more in the pipeline – and padel’s growing stature on the Emerald Isle has been recognised with funding for several projects at existing tennis clubs.
The clubs are:
- Castlebar Tennis Club – €99,330 for installing wheelchair access and padel courts
- Douglas Lawn Tennis Club in Cork gets €58,137 for padel courts
- Castleknock Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin – €86,868 for two padel courts.
- Charleville Lawn Tennis Club – €117,167 for padel courts and a multi-sport area
- Glasnevin Lawn Tennis Club – €102,518 for “system replacement, roof repair, and padel tennis”
- Ballinagare Health & Leisure Community Centre in Roscommon – €68,311 for a padel court
- Greystones Lawn Tennis Club – €120,427 for a “junior coach area, two padel courts and the refurbishment of three tennis courts
Padel in Ireland has grown steadily since the installation of four uncovered courts in a South Dublin park by the city council in 2017. Ireland’s first indoor courts arrived four years later at PadelZone Celbridge (originally two courts, now expanded to five).
Padel Tennis Ireland in Cork this week announced it will expand to eight courts to become the country’s biggest dedicated padel centre. As in the UK, there are many projects in the planning stage including an application to build the first courts in Galway.
