Over six-million tourists could visit Dundalk on a yearly basis if ambitious plans for the 'Altitude' leisure development are given the green light.

The e430m project, which will be rolled out over seven years, will create 1,200 full time and more than 380 part-time jobs.

The crippled construction industry will be the first to take advantage of the situation as over 400 jobs will be created on site during the initial construction phase.

Plans for the ambitious project were first unveiled in June of this year and a planning application is set to be lodged in the near future with Dundalk Town Council.

When completed, 'Altitude' which will be located just off the M1 Dublin-Belfast motorway at Dowdallshill is expected to bring in 6.2m visitors a year.

The entire project, when completed will include an iconic ski slope and nursery slopes; a family hostel with over 100 beds, an 110,000-sq ft indoor concert arena, a 80,000-sq ft leisure zone which will include a cinema, a 10-pin bowling and children's zone.

Along with this, a 40,000-sq ft surf and water leisure dome will be included as will a 80,000-sq ft site comprising of specialist sports and leisure related retail, restaurants and bars.

Later phases will include additional hotel accommodation and, once relevant legislation is in place, an international casino.

It is hoped that the project will be completed by 2016 with work expected to begin early next year with the first attractions due to open in the first half of 2011 and remaining elements to be introduced over the following five years.

Almost 1,200 full-time and more than 380 part-time jobs are set to be created in the northeast as plans are finalised for a major all-weather tourism and leisure development to be rolled out over a seven year period to 2016.

As reported by the Dundalk Democrat in June, the initial phases of 'Altitude' will cost e70m-e100m to deliver with the overall investment rising to e430m through to 2016.


Two businessmen are looking to change the face of Dundalk forever.

Pearse O'Hanrahan and Sam Curran, directors of Innovative Leisure Systems, are the men behind perhaps the most ambitious project that Dundalk has ever seen.

The duo are ready to roll out their n430m 'Altitude' project, one that could attract six million visitors a year to Dundalk by 2016.

O'Hanrahan and Curran have assembled a strong team of Irish and international consultants to bring specialised expertise to various aspects of the project.

Mr Curran has considerable prior experience of property development throughout Ireland and was centrally involved in delivering the Dundalk Icedome project in 2006.

Mr O'Hanrahan has been a director of Bord Gáis Éireann since 2002 and chairs its investment and infrastructure committee. A former chairman of Dundalk Town Council and vice-chairman of Combat Poverty, he currently chairs Dundalk Port.

The first part of their project is the all year round skiing facility using Snowflex, a high performance synthetic system that enables a commercial outdoor snow sports centre to be built for year-round use regardless of climate.

Outlining details of 'Altitude', Mr Curran said that the proposers are confident that the market will exist for this type of tourism and leisure development.

He said: "We've done very extensive work over the last 30 months to fine-tune what we include in our plans and are completely satisfied that the mix of different elements we propose will prove a compelling attraction, not only to the regional and national market across the island of Ireland but also to overseas visitors who can readily access this location by flying into Dublin or Belfast.

"The elements we will provide are not available at any other single site in Ireland or the UK while many of the individual parts also have no direct comparison here at present.

"We have looked closely at facilities available in the UK, mainland Europe, Asia and north America and the experience is that people are willing to travel to enjoy this type of attraction once it is hitting the right price range and what is on offer is regularly refreshed and added to. 'Altitude' will score well on both counts."

Mr Curran also stated that the group does expect the economy to recover by the time 'Altitude' is built so that they are not just relying on the domestic market.

He also states that they are not dependent on funding from the banking sector and that 'Altitude' is the 'type of innovative scheme that can itself contribute heavily to rebuilding the Irish economy."