James Murtagh/ RTE Video
Search
17 Feb 2026
Search
17 Feb 2026
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Punchestown event centre , Naas
A County Kildare racecourse premises is likely being considered as a venue to house refugees from the war in Ukraine.
It's understood that the event centre at Punchestown Racecourse could accommodate up to 300 people who have fled the conflict.
The event centre is a vast building occupying over 60,000 square feet.
It operates separately from the racecourse, which itself is the premier National Hunt venue in Ireland.
The centre can accommodate 8,000 visitors and is wheelchair accessible.
Originally constructed as an indoor equestrian arena, it hosts exhibitions, entertainment events, trade shows, and conferences. It’s also used as a Covid-19 vaccination and test centre.
It also serves as the count centre for local and general elections.
A spokesperson for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth told Kildare Now: "Discussions are ongoing in relation to the use of this facility for beneficiaries of temporary protection."
Beneficiaries of temporary protection is a United Nations term referring to people who were living in Ukraine prior to the start of the Russian invasion of February 24, 2022.
A spokesperson for Punchestown Racecourse was contacted for comment.
Ukrainian refugees began arriving at a former equestrian centre in Kill about two months ago in what is generally regarded as a successful project, supported by the local community there.
Initially it was expected that about 50 families or some 150 people would arrive.
In all, some 340 people will be accommodated there in 165 pod-style rooms.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
