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An Tánaiste Simon Coveney officially opened the €19 million Kerry Sports Academy at IT Tralee on Wednesday. Pictured at the opening were Jim Finucane, Chairman of the IT Tralee Governing Body, Mr. Lionel Alexander , Catherine Carty IT Tralee , Simon Coveney , Minister Brendan Griffin , Mayor of Kerry Norma Foley , Mr Dick Spring KSA , Brid McElligott IT Tralee and Ogie Moran KSA . Photo By Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD
THE Institute of Technology, Tralee welcomed An Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney TD to officially open the €19 million Kerry Sports Academy (KSA) today.
Construction began on the Kerry Sports Academy in 2017 and the then Taoiseach, Enda Kenny T.D., turned the first sod on 27th March 27, 2017.
The KSA is located in the North Campus at IT Tralee and will provide state-of-the-art facilities for the following:
• Health and Leisure Programmes at the IT Tralee;
• UNESCO Chair in Inclusive Physical Education, Sport Fitness, and Recreation;
• National Centre for Adapted Physical Activity – CARA;
• Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann – Traditional Irish Music Headquarters;
• Kerry GAA.
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The Kerry Sports Academy is an 8,400m2 facility with state of the art facilities and is the largest sports capital project ever to have been undertaken in Kerry.
The Academy facilities, which are universally accessible includes the following:
• International sized indoor sports arena
• Hydrotherapy suite
• Teaching gym
• High performance gym
• Teaching classrooms
• Meeting rooms
• Suite of auditoria
• Massage suites
• Aerobic and dance studios
• Dry, outdoor and wet changing areas
• Laboratory facilities
• Student recreation area
• Universally accessible facility
Chairman of the IT Tralee Governing Body, Mr. Lionel Alexander outlined the importance of the development of the capital infrastructure of the IT Tralee, as it approaches the final stages of the creation of the Munster Technological University in partnership with CIT.
The IT Tralee Foundation secured funding for the Kerry Sports Academy through the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and donations from Philanthropic Foundations, High Net Worth Individuals, Corporate Donors and Strategic Partners. IT Tralee also contributed to the project from its capital reserves.
Mr Dick Spring, Chairman of the Institute of Technology Tralee Foundation said; “We have over the years worked hard to develop an ethos of inclusion in sport and to shape the future of adapted physical activity, regionally, nationally and internationally. The opening of the Kerry Sports Academy will further cement the Institute’s reputation as a world class centre of excellence for education and research in adapted physical activity and inclusive physical education.”
The Kerry Sports Academy is the first phase of the Institute’s Master Development Plan 2017- 2027. Work has already commenced on the next phase of this plan, a 9,000m2 facility to accommodate the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) School of IT Tralee. Work is expected to be complete on this development in 2022.
