Kerry Group today announced that the Group will contribute €500,000 to assist completion of the €16.5 million Kerry Sports Academy at the Institute of Technology Tralee, North Campus. The Kerry Sports Academy development is the largest educational capital project to be undertaken in Kerry in recent years.

Scheduled to open in January 2019, the Kerry Sports Academy will be home to:

• UNESCO Chair in Inclusive Physical Education, Sport Fitness, and Recreation;
• National Centre for Adapted Physical Activity – CARA;
• Health and Leisure Programmes at the IT Tralee;
• Kerry GAA Centre of Excellence;
• Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann – Traditional Irish Music Headquarters.  

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Dick Spring, Chairman of the IT Tralee Foundation Board, said “The Foundation is extremely grateful to Kerry Group for their very generous support for the Kerry Sports Academy. The IT Tralee, which has over 3,000 students, employing 350 people plays a key role in the economic and social development of the county. The main objective of the Foundation is to raise funds for the future development of the Institute, as it embarks on its ambitious five year strategic plan.”

Frank Hayes, Director of Corporate Affairs at Kerry Group said, “Kerry Group is pleased to support IT Tralee with the development of the Kerry Sports Academy. The Institute has a proud record of fostering inclusion in sport and in shaping the future of adapted physical activity regionally, nationally and internationally. In addition, the Institute provides a financial contribution of circa €60 million annually to the local economy and Kerry Group supports its future development as it prepares to amalgamate with the Cork Institute of Technology and form the Munster Technological University.”

Dr. Oliver Murphy, President of the IT Tralee, expressed his sincere thanks to Kerry Group for their vote of confidence in the project. “The Kerry Sports Academy is a very exciting project which will provide the Institute with facilities of an international standard, in addition to providing an excellent sporting resource for the county and the region. The IT Tralee has an esteemed international reputation for leadership in inclusion and adapted physical activity and is the only higher education provider globally to be awarded a UNESCO Chair in this area. This is testimony to the excellence of the Institute’s work in including people with disabilities in physical education, sport, fitness and recreation.”