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Work on a new dinosaur-themed rollercoaster at Tayto Park is currently underway, while construction is also expected to begin on two steel coasters next year
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 14 Dec 2021
Tayto Park’s existing Cú Chulainn coaster opened in 2015 and is a wooden coaster manufactured by the Gravity Group Credit: Tayto Park
Ireland’s Tayto Park is in the midst of a major investment, with the operator allocating €30m (US$34m, £25.6m) for the development of three new rollercoasters at the popular theme park.
Park founder Raymond Coyle confirmed that work on Dino Coaster - a new dinosaur-themed rollercoaster - is currently underway and scheduled for completion in February 2022. Construction on two additional rollercoasters, described as interconnected steel coasters, is expected to begin in March or April 2022.
Scheduled to open by the end of 2023, the new rides include a 31m (102ft) -high 748m (2,450ft) -long suspended thrill ride and a 24.2m (79.3ft) -tall and 238m (780ft) -long family boomerang coaster.
All three attractions were first announced in June 2020 after planning permission was obtained earlier that year in March.
Coyle described the new additions as “the largest single investment” in the park’s history, adding that they would add jobs to the local economy and “secure the future of the park.”
Due to Covid restrictions, Tayto Park was closed for the majority of 2020, with parent company Ashford Visitor Centre losing more than half its revenue. The period saw profits for the company drop from €18.8m (US$21.2m, £16m) to €9.3m (US$10.45m, £7.9m).
The future looks much brighter, however, with Coyle confirming that the park had “a very good year this year”, with numbers up on 2020’s figures.
Theme park
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