Ireland should explore hosting WrestleMania, Kilkenny councillor proposes

Kilkenny Councillor Maurice Shortall told IrishCentral that Ireland hosting the WWE's annual professional wrestling event WrestleMania "would really benefit Irish / American connections."

The Independent Councillor shared his proposed motion on social media this week, giving way to a flurry of headlines in both Irish and global sporting media.

Shortall is set to propose that Kilkenny County Council engage with relevant officials "to examine and actively pursue a bid to bring WrestleMania, one of the world’s largest live entertainment and sporting spectacles, to Ireland."

Shortall told IrishCentral on Thursday that it would be "an economic no-brainer for Ireland to establish ourselves as a hub for major sporting events."

For this year's WrestleMania event, which was hosted over two nights at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, attendance reached 106,072, with tickets purchased from all 50 states and more than 69 countries. Last year's WrestleMania event, also hosted at Allegiant Stadium, generated a combined $626.1 million in economic impact for Las Vegas.

Shortall told IrishCentral on Thursday that the reaction to his proposal has been "absolutely fantastic." He hopes the motion will be considered on May 18.

In his proposed motion, Shortall wrote: "As a globally recognised event with the capacity to attract tens of thousands of international visitors and generate substantial international media exposure, WrestleMania presents a significant opportunity for Ireland to strengthen its position as a leading destination for major event tourism.

"Kilkenny County Council recognises the considerable economic and tourism benefits that would arise from hosting an event of this scale in Ireland, including increased visitor numbers, extended overnight stays, and significant revenue generation across hospitality, retail, transport and the wider tourism economy."

Shortall acknowledged in his motion that should the event come to Ireland, WrestleMania would most likely be hosted in Dublin, but feels there would be a "wider regional benefit" to other counties, including Kilkenny.

His motion continued: "Kilkenny County Council further acknowledges that Ireland is well placed to present a credible and competitive bid for WrestleMania, given our strong international tourism brand, proven track record in hosting major events, and global reputation as a welcoming destination.

"In light of the growing importance of major international events in driving tourism growth and economic activity, this Council calls on Ministers Burke and O’Donovan, together with the relevant State agencies and tourism stakeholders, to assess the feasibility of such a bid and to engage with the appropriate partners to determine Ireland’s capacity to host WrestleMania in the near future."