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RDS Arena set for expansion

The Royal Dublin Society has been granted permission to expand the RDS Arena, home of Leinster Rugby, with a new 6,481-seat stand.

The Irish Independent newspaper reported that the RDS has been given the green light for the project by the Dublin City Council.

The new Anglesea stand will have three tiers and the expansion is viewed as a necessity to attract more high-profile events to the stadium, which has a current capacity of 18,500.

The Anglesea stand currently seats 5,743 people and the expansion will result in the addition of more than 700 new seats. The Irish Independent added that a new ‘Pocket Building’ will form part of the plans.

According to the newspaper, the RDS told the council that the facility is a “significant contributor to the economy of Dublin, with an overall estimated combined economic impact of €136.5m to €166m for rugby games, concert events and the annual horse show”.

The current Anglesea stand was built in the 1930s.

Image: justinhourigan