Laois to be home to Ireland's snooker HQ and centre of excellence
Centre to get more than €60,000 grant
Laois is on course to be home to national headquarters and Centre of Excellence of Snooker & Billiards in Ireland following a decision by Laois County Council.
The new facility is also on the list of national sports Governing bodies to benefit from the latest round of grants under the annual Sports Capital & Equipment Programmes for 2020.
Planners at County Hall in Portlaoise has given the goahead to the Republic of Ireland Billiards & Snooker Association to locate its new centre in Graiguecullen on the Carlow border.
The association applied to Laois County council in early 2021 to convert a former garage on the Portlaoise Road into its new HQ.
Plans submitted show that apart from a number of snooker tables, the centre will also include an enclosed where up to 50 spectators will be able to watch a game.
While further information was sought during the planning process about signs, the conditional green light was given at the end of July.
The centre is set to benefit as part of the €2m is being provided for sports equipment for National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) announced by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, T.D, and the Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers on August 6.