The forestry village of Ballymahon, in Co. Longford, could soon become the focal point for family holidays in Ireland if Center Parcs gets a good deal to develop a new leisure center there.
Longford County Council and Coillte are currently engaged in negotiations with Center Parcs representatives in a deal worth over €100m.
If the project gets the green light, more than 600 construction jobs would be generated in the area, and the resort itself would see about 500 staff working there.
Center Parcs currently has five resorts in the United Kingdom. If Longford is a go, it would be the company’s first outing in the Republic.
The existing resorts offer family holidays, with a whole raft of weatherproof activities to choose from, including swimming, bike hire, kayaking, tennis, and many more.
Guests pay a basic fee for accommodation and then choose which activities to take part in. The resorts also have their own supermarkets, restaurants, and other facilities.
A price sample would be around €700 or thereabouts for a four-night stay mid-week in June 2015.
Planning permission still needs to be granted, so stay tuned for more news.