The Tánaiste was Leeside the morning to turn the sod on the new CIT/MTU Arena project.
This event marked the commencement of a two phase programme which will see over €22 million invested in state of the art sports facilities on the CIT/MTU Bishopstown Campus.
Two basketball courts, a gym, a public foyer and cafe are all part of the new facility which will also be used to host exams, concerts, conferences, and conferring ceremonies.
It's hoped the development of a High Performance Indoor Athletics Centre featuring a sprint track, elite training laboratories, and facilities for events such as the high jump, pole vault, long jump and triple jump will boost not only the newly designated university but also sport in the wider Munster region.
Speaking to RedFM News at this morning's sod turning Tánaiste Simon Coveney says the facility will help the university excel.
"It's great to start calling it the MTU.
"The campus here which has been CIT for so long is being transformed - it's going to be a university from now on.
"You're going to see the government investing more and more in upgrading this campus on the back of that decision.
"From a sports perspective, what's going to happen here is going to be phenomenal.
"We're going to spend in and around €22m, maybe up to €25m, on putting fantastic new indoor facilities in place.
"For anyone who's thinking of coming here to study who's interested in sport you're not going to get better facilities than that anywhere in the country."
