Connacht GAA's Air Dome has been destroyed during Storm Éowyn.
The multimillion euro facility in Bekan near Ballyhaunis in Co Mayo, now known as the University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome, opened in 2020 and has been a huge success due to its ability to host indoor games at all levels, regardless of the conditions.
However, the record-breaking winds overnight tore the inflated roof of the structure to bits, with Connacht GAA secretary John Prenty confirming to RTÉ Sport that it blew down at approximately 4am.
Connacht GAA secretary John Prenty insists that they will continue to host games at Bekan and plan to rebuild the Air Dome, which was destroyed by Storm Éowyn, as soon as possible #GAA pic.twitter.com/8WzSTKsbY1
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) January 24, 2025
"We left here at probably 2.30am, and by 4.15am... the dome was gone," Prenty told RTÉ, also confirming the structure was fully insured and Connacht GAA intended to rebuild it.
"I suppose the good thing on that is that we were gone when it (collapsed) because we'd have been found today dead, simple as that. We'd have had no way of getting out, we'd have been killed stone dead.
"Thankfully we're alive to tell the tale. We'll get another dome.
"I never saw a storm like this. Even at home last night it was frightening.
"It's a big blow but we'll rise again.
"When we opened this place in July 2020 nobody believed even five hours before it went up that it would happen. But it did happen, and it will happen again."
The Connacht GAA Air Dome in Bekan near Ballyhaunis in Co Mayo has been completely destroyed. The severe winds from #StormEowyn tore the inflated roof covering the indoor pitch @RTENews pic.twitter.com/dPt3iG4m3E
— Fergal O'Brien (@FergalOBrien_) January 24, 2025
The Air Dome, which cost over €3.5m to build was officially opened on 20 July 2020.
The National Frisbee Championship, which was to be held in the Air Dome tomorrow, has been cancelled.
The venue's demise has far-reaching impacts with Sigerson, Fitzgibbon and Ashbourne Cup fixtures all planned for the dome over the next few weeks.
Located at Connacht's centre of excellence, the Air Dome covered an area of 150m x 100m, with an inflatable roof anchored to a metre high perimeter wall around the site.
Three pumping stations were used to blow up the structure and to keep it in place.
Storm Éowyn also appears to have led to the collapse of a perimeter wall at League of Ireland First Division club Longford Town.
MEP for the Midlands-North West Ciaran Mullooly posted images of a block wall at the back of one of the stands at Bishopsgate Stadium that had fallen.
Huge damage …around the midlands and west : I have contacted the EU Commissioner @RaffaeleFitto today to see if emergency aid can be provided to help rebuild at @ConnachtGAA @LongfordTownFC pic.twitter.com/KiKqpuAD3S
— Ciaran Mullooly MEP (@ciaranmullooly) January 24, 2025
