Education minister Simon Harris opens MTU Arena

MTU Cork has officially opened its new €13 million state-of-the-art, multi-purpose arena.

The MTU Arena was opened on Monday at the university’s Bishopstown campus by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science, Simon Harris, TD.

The new arena features a 1,340m2 hall, two studios, a café, and a spacious state-of-the-art gym. It will be open seven days per week, and membership for the gym will be open to students, staff, and members of the public.

Construction of the arena began in 2020, with the then-Tánaiste, Simon Coveney TD, turning the sod on 22 June.

Speaking at Monday’s official opening at MTU’s Bishopstown campus, Minister Harris said: “This fantastic facility, which cost €13 million and took two years to build during a global pandemic, will benefit students and staff and is available to them seven days a week.

“This gives them a space to meet and socialise in the large café here, go to the gym or take part in other activities to help them look after their health and wellbeing.

“And it’s not just the university who benefit from this wonderful building, the people of Bishopstown and beyond also benefit. Here they can hold local community events, concerts, major sporting events – the list is endless,” he added.

MTU President, Prof. Maggie Cusack, said: “The delivery of this state-of-the-art building is a testament to the dedication of all those involved in the project and to MTU’s commitment to being a truly great university.

“The arena has had its soft opening earlier this year, and the past six months have already shown what a huge benefit it is to current students and staff, as well as the wider south west region,” she added.

Chair of MTU’s Governing Body, Jimmy Deenihan, said: “The MTU Arena is a wonderful addition to the Bishopstown campus, and it will greatly add to the student experience.

“The potential for the arena for everything from graduation ceremonies to major sporting events and conferences is limitless,” added Mr Deenihan.

Mervyn O’Mahony, MTU Arena Operations Manager, said: “This is, first and foremost, a place for our students. They are key to the life of the university and are the greatest beneficiaries of this stunning new building. But we also look forward to being able to host a wide variety of events at the MTU Arena to show how it really is a true community asset.”

Also commenting was President of MTU Cork Students’ Union, Isobel Kavanagh, who said hailed the arena as a “huge addition” to the campus.

She said: “The campus needs lots of spaces like this for our students so this is a great start in our journey to becoming an extremely attractive university which promotes the overall health and wellbeing of our students.”