Center Parcs has won permission to develop its first holiday village in Ireland.
Planning consent for the first holiday village outside of the UK will see the company develop a 395-acre site near Ballymahon in County Longford, into what will be its sixth resort.
Center Parcs Longford Forest will have capacity for up to 2,500 holidaymakers and is expected to open in 2019.
The development will include 470 Lodges and 30 apartments, more than 100 indoor and outdoor family activities, a spa, restaurants, shops and cafés and an indoor subtropical swimming complex.
It is estimated that the project will add €1 billion to Ireland’s GDP over a 20 year period.
The scheme will see approximately 750 jobs generated during construction with a further 1,000 permanent roles created once operational.
Center Parcs chief executive Martin Dalby said: “Today’s announcement marks another significant milestone in the history of Center Parcs.
“Since we announced our intention to bring the Center Parcs experience to Ireland last year, we have been overwhelmed by the support we have received, both at local and national level.
“We have experienced unrivalled success for almost 30 years in the UK, providing high quality family short breaks and I’m extremely excited by the prospect of taking our fantastic brand to Ireland.”