Construction has started on a temporary train station in Adare ahead of the Ryder Cup taking place in the Co Limerick village in September 2027.
The station will “support thousands of spectators travelling to and from the Ryder Cup” next year, Iarnród Éireann said in a statement on Wednesday.
Construction of the temporary station, which will consist of a platform and external concourse, is expected to take six months.
The project will cost €3 million, an Irish Rail spokesman said.
The station works are being funded by the Department of Transport, through the National Transport Authority (NTA), and carried out by Cara Plant Hire Limited.
The construction of the temporary station is happening alongside works to reinstate the Limerick to Foynes freight line, which is expected to be complete in October 2026 with freight services starting to operate in early 2027.
Iarnród Éireann is “working closely with the NTA to support the overall NTA public transport plan for the Ryder Cup,” a spokesman said.
“It is likely that the Ryder Cup special rail services will operate outside of regular timetable hours and will utilise existing train fleet, running a shuttle service between Limerick Junction and Adare on the reinstated Foynes rail line,” a statement noted.
“The shuttle will meet trains from Dublin and Cork at Limerick Junction where passengers can interchange, supporting thousands of spectators in getting to and from the venue.”
Efforts are also being made to improve road facilities in the area in advance of the Ryder Cup.
Plans to fast-track the Adare bypass, which is part of the wider Foynes to Limerick road project, were approved in November 2023. The Government is investing approximately €150 million to deliver the bypass, which will comprise about 7km of new motorway from Croagh to Adare.
The bypass is due to be completed by June 2027, before the Ryder Cup the following September.
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien previously said the Adare bypass “will greatly reduce congestion, air pollution and noise” in the town.
Speaking last year, O’Brien said his department and Transport Infrastructure Ireland “will be working closely with Limerick City and County Council and all other stakeholders, with the objective of delivering the bypass in advance of the [Ryder Cup], which will have a significant and positive impact on the local area in terms of economy and tourism”.
The bypass project will also include the construction of junctions at Adare and Croagh, realignment of a number of existing roads and a number of new bridges.
Tickets for the Ryder Cup for Irish residents sold out in less than an hour last month. People who failed to secure tickets, which ranged in price from €89 to €499, can try again when the global tickets sales window opens on June 3rd.