The Irish Times

National Concert Hall

An estimated €145 million redevelopment of the National Concert Hall (NCH) in Dublin could double to €50 million the revenue it generates for the national economy each year - and see it become a "major driver" of cultural tourism, an Oireachtas committee heard yesterday. Dr Dermot Egan, chairman of the NCH, told the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs that the hall was a "fantastic achievement" in the early 1980s. But it has since fallen behind the standards of other international concert halls. The NCH's current maximum capacity at its site in Earlsfort Terrace is 1,200 seats, but this is frequently reduced by the requirements of particular events, he said. UCD is willing to sell the NCH site for a price of some €45 million, with a further €100 million needed for estimated construction costs.