Construction of €100m Center Parcs expansion in Ballymahon to start in September

Center Parcs announced today (Thursday) that construction work on a €100 million expansion of its Longford Forest resort in Ballymahon will begin this September.

The major investment by the company comes ahead of next month's fifth anniversary of the opening of Longford Forest, and will increase the capacity of the resort to approximately 3,500 guests at a time.

The project is to be completed in stages, and Center Parcs said it would see the creation of 300 jobs during construction, along with approximately 250 permanent jobs when operational.

The additions to the resort's facilities will include 198 more accommodation lodges, including four luxury treehouses.

They will also include a new restaurant and an additional coffee house, as well as extensions to the existing restaurants, leisure and car park facilities, and Longford Forest's 'subtropical swimming paradise'.

The Aqua Sana spa at the resort will be expanded to include new treatment rooms and a new luxurious treetop sauna.

Center Parcs also released figures today relating to its impact on Ireland's domestic tourism market.

It said that, in the 12 months between April 2023 and April 2024, Center Parcs Longford Forest generated €58 million for the Irish economy, €23 million in Exchequer revenue, and welcomed 260,700 guests.

Locally, the resort has generated €44 million within county Longford and created over 1,300 jobs, Center Parcs said.

Of those employed, 60% are from county Longford, and a further 36% reside in neighbouring counties.

Center Parcs UK & Ireland’s CEO, Colin McKinlay, commented: "We are delighted to announce that following several years of planning, we will commence work on our expansion of Longford Forest this autumn.

"Year on year, we have seen an increase in the number of guests we have welcomed to Longford Forest and many returning families, who have really taken Center Parcs into their hearts.

"Speaking of hearts, at Center Parcs we feel so fortunate to be geographically located at the heart of Ireland and have the ongoing support of the local community. We are thrilled to be able to create even more opportunities for them and boost the local economy further."

The company said the expansion of the resort would place a strong emphasis on sustainability and protecting the local environment.

An air source heat pump-led network will power the new lodges, and measures are due to be put in place at all facilities to reduce energy consumption, including the use of high-efficiency LED lighting.

Center Parcs Longford Forest opened in July 2019 and the company said it had consistently seen occupancy rates of 99%, with more than 90% of guests rating their holiday as excellent or good.