New stand for Curragh racecourse

The Trustees of the Turf Club is about to submit a planning application to Kildare County Council for the next stage of the €90 million redevelopment of the Curragh racecourse.

The Trustees of the Turf Club plan to turn the racecourse into a world class venue with a 50,000 capacity over the next three years.

The planning application is for a new five-storey over basement grandstand with a museum, seating capacity for nearly 2,000 people, as well as restaurants and bars.

The 219sq m (2,357sq ft) museum would be located on the ground floor of the grandstand, along with the new queen's room, a food court, tote halls and bar areas.

As well as a terrace with seating for 1,100 race-goers, the first floor would have a member's bar and function room, a restaurant, a main bar and an owners and trainer's bar.

The second floor would have a terrace with a 860-seat capacity, 11 corporate boxes, a bar and function rooms while the third floor would comprise 20 corporate boxes, a judges and a steward's box, as well as a further five corporate boxes within the oval element of the building.

At fourth floor level the proposal is for a commentary box roof terrace and banqueting hall. Each level of the grandstand would span more than a quarter of an acre in area.

The planning application also seeks the redevelopment of the Stand House Hotel, opposite the racecourse, which was purchased by the Aga Khan as a gift to the Turf Club for an estimated €15 million. The hotel is regarded as an integral part of the overall redevelopment of the racecourse.

The revamp of the hotel will involve a new glazed south elevation and refurbished north elevation, a re-ordering of the courtyard and lounge, a new entrance lobby, and extensions to the breakfastroom and Derby suite function room.

Earlier this year, An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the realignment of a road which separates the main grandstand from the Stand House Hotel. The road is to be relocated around the back of the hotel, so it can be integrated into the racecourse redevelopment.

The Trustees of the Turf Club is also looking to demolish the east stand and part of the west stand, to dismantle the Queen's Road and demolish part of the west wing of the Turf Club rooms.

It is also looking to build a new gable wall and external steel staircase to the Turf Club rooms.

The Curragh began as a race-track in 1741 and the Irish Turf Club was established in 1790. The Turf Club's offices were gutted by fire last year. The redevelopment is expected to be complete by 2008.