JP McManus's International Rugby Experience in Limerick records losses of €1.05m

The firm behind billionaire businessman JP McManus’s ill-fated International Rugby Experience venture in Limerick recorded losses of €1.05 million last year.

In December of last year, the International Rugby Experience shut its doors 19 months, after only opening in May 2023, to much fanfare. It was endorsed by the likes of Ireland and Munster rugby legends Paul O’Connell and Keith Wood.

The award-winning six-storey visitor attraction on Limerick’s O’Connell Street was built through a €30 million gift from the JP McManus Foundation.

Now, new accounts for Rugby World Experience CLG show that the scale of the losses in the visitor attraction’s first full year of operation - though start -up losses for a venture of this scale would have been anticipated.

The directors, which include JP McManus’s daughter, Sue-Ann Foley and former Ireland rugby captain, Paul O’Connell - state that the charity “has performed in line with the directors’ expectations and has generated a deficit for the financial year”.

In the accounts, signed off earlier this month, the directors state that they note that the visitor experience closed in December 2024 “and are considering their options for the building going forward”.

The directors state that the principle activity of the charity is to promote the regeneration of Limerick city centre by establishing the International Rugby Experience which will celebrate the sport of rugby through the means of a visitor experience.

The €1.05 million loss for 2024 followed a surplus of €10.27 million for 2023 but this was mainly due to a €12 million donation recorded that year.

The new accounts for Rugby World Experience CLG show that monies generated from visitors included in ‘other trading activities’ was