Plans for new Cork facility for world's fastest-growing sport

Padel tennis could be coming to Cork city with plans for a new dedicated leisure centre for the trendy sport.

Padel Tennis Ireland has applied to build a new indoor recreation facility on the southside. The centre is planned for a site on Bandon Road at Ardrostig, with eight padel tennis courts. Cork City Council is due to decide by the end of September.

It will be a boost for padel players in the city. People looking to play the fast-growing indoor sport in Cork have to travel to Carrigtwohill, where Ireland's largest Padel Tennis facility is at Fota Junction Retail Park.

Padel is booming in popularity across Ireland as an easy, inclusive sport for people of all ages and abilities. The racket sport is similar to tennis but much more beginner-friendly, with a focus on fitness and fun rather than technique and strength.

A new centre in the city would be a big boost for the Cork-based organisation, which has been going from strength to strength in recent years. Padel Tennis Ireland's founders, Mark White and Jeremy Coyle, say they have built their careers on the belief that sport should be for everyone, with inclusiveness at the heart of the business.

Their plans for the new Bishopstown facility include the proposed development of a two-storey building with eight Padel Tennis courts, a reception and seating area, a merchandise display and sales area, toilets, shower/change rooms, a circulation area, and a storeroom.

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