Taoiseach officially opens Athlone IT International Arena

The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, has officially opened Ireland's first world-class indoor athletics arena at Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT). In a ceremony attended by legendary Irish athletes, Dr Ronnie Delany, Senator Eamonn Coghlan, John Treacy, and Ireland's first female Olympian, Maeve Kyle, the Taoiseach declared the new €10m AIT International Arena open for business. The official opening comes just ahead of the Athletics Ireland National Senior Indoor Championships at the AIT venue this weekend. Four of Ireland's best athletes will compete in the International Arena on Saturday and Sunday: Fionnuala Britton, Brian Gregan, Rob Heffernan and Derval O'Rourke. Speaking at the opening, President of AIT and Athletics Ireland, Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin described the International Arena as a "theatre of dreams", saying it would become: "the springboard for new Irish sporting heroes and legends, names that will enter the lexicon of greatness." The Taoiseach was greeted with protests from campaigners against the household charge, property tax and other austerity measures.