Rink

hat slogan may not be part of Ireland's tourism campaign just yet, but the ice industry is growing in a country known more for golf and Guinness. In 2006, the Dundalk Ice Dome was opened, and the single-sheet facility became the only full-time ice rink in the Republic of Ireland. The Dundonald International Ice Bowl, built in 1986, is a full-time ice rink in Northern Ireland, and the Odyssey Arena, a major events arena also in Northern Ireland, makes it a grand total of three rinks on the island of Ireland. However, the success and excitement generated by the Ice Dome could lead to significant growth, according to Mark Bowes, the General Secretary of the Irish Ice Hockey Association (IIHA) and a leader behind the Ice Dome project. Along with Tony Kinsella and Tony Griffin, Bowes planned for many years to make the Ice Dome a reality, and their success has led to talk of more rinks. In fact, the BKG Group of Bowes, Kinsella and Griffin have teamed with a company to design and build rinks throughout the country. "The future looks bright for hockey in Ireland," says Bowes. "In the next five years, we plan to announce at least six new rinks." Today, there are 500 players registered with the IIHA, with 100 of the players under 16 years old. There are 420 figure skaters registered with the Ice Skating Association of Ireland (ISAI), all of whom skate out of the Ice Dome. "Both the IIHA and the ISAI are very active and dynamic in their efforts to promote their sports," proclaims Bowes. "A lot has been done by both federations to develop almost 1,000 members utilizing a one-ice pad." With the lack of permanent rinks, the seasonal rink business has been successful in Ireland. This year, there were 13 seasonal rinks operating around the country over the holiday season, with five of those in the Irish capital of Dublin. "Ice skating is very popular in Ireland as there were over 500,000 people lacing up for Christmas in Ireland," noted Bowes. "Not bad for a country with a population of five million." The reaction of the government has also been positive, which will be a key factor in developing facilities. Dermot Ahern, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern were on hand to open the Ice Dome a year ago, and both fully support the ice sports. "Skating is not new in Ireland as we had two small rinks in Dublin for many years," continued Bowes. "But the potential for growth is mind-blowing, and we need more ice to grow." Should these rinks come to fruition, it just may become the Emerald Isle of Ice after all. ★ For more information on Irish Ice Hockey, please visit www.IIHA.org. For more information on the Dundalk Ice Dome, please visit www.dundalkicedome.com 48 R INK MAGAZ INE march/april 2008 international profile The Emerald Isle…of ice? DUNDALK ICE DOME Ireland T ■ Notes and information from countries around the world "The future looks bright for hockey in Ireland. In the next five years, we plan to announce at least six new rinks."

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