It appears that Irish Cycling could have an indoor velodrome as early as September of this year.
An agreement between the Cuchullain Cycling Club in Dundalk and the Dundalk Institute of Technology has given rise to the prospect of a 250 metre indoor circuit being included as part of the redevelopment of a sports centre in the town that includes gyms, dressing rooms, a swimming pool, indoor soccer pitches and even a disused ice rink.
The building formerly known as the JJB Sports Complex was bought just before Christmas by the education institution. A tender for its operation will shortly be published and the hope is that the new facility, known as DKIT Sport will open in September in time for the new academic year.
It may also include the development alongside of a full GAA pitch with Louth GAA which would include floodlighting and serve as a new base for the county senior teams.
The plans by the cycling club have the support in principle of Cycling Ireland though they are also still pursuing the possibility of a velodrome being built as an annexe to the National Indoor Sports Arena as part of the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown.
When plans for the National Indoor Arena were first unveiled it was questioned whether there was a need for a second indoor athletics arena following on from the successful construction and operation of the one at Athlone Institute of Technology, and whether instead the track part could be devoted to cycling but that does not appear to be likely and the construction of that arena will commence later in 2014.
A feasibility study on the annexe project, being completed in conjunction with Badminton Ireland is also expected shortly.
The cost of the velodrome being installed as part of the Dundalk complex has been estimated at around €1.2 million and it is believed that an application to cover a large part of this cost will be made under the current round of the Capital Sports Programme being run by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
Earlier in December the club had secured agreement from Dundalk Town Council for a 150 year lease on a site in the town that would have room and planning permission for an outdoor track and a BMX centre.
Events are clearly moving fast within the club who have a lot of ambition and seem intent on being the driving force behind new facilities that will benefit elite cyclists like Martyn Irvine and Caroline Ryan as well as tap into the rapid growth of cycling as both a leisure activity and a sport in recent year.
