They may have sang of a Las Vegas in Donegal, but new plans could see Tipperary becoming home to an entertainment 'village', complete with a casino and replica of the Whitehouse.

The 'Las Vegas-style' development submitted to An Born Pleanála includes a 15,000-seat concert venue, a golf course, a casino, a five-star hotel, and a National Hunt racecourse.

The new 'Tipperary Venue' would be sited near Two-Mile Borris, close to the new M8 motorway and it is estimated that the 460m euro project would take three years to complete.

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Planning applications for the site are to be lodged with North Tipperary County Council later on Wednesday.

Up to 1,000 people are expected to be employed annually over the three years of construction with a further 2,000 full time jobs on the site to be created thereafter.

The Tipperary Venue is hoped to become an international meeting place for leaders in the fields of sport, leisure and entertainment.

Speaking at the launch of the project, Independent TD for Tipperary North, Michael Lowry said: "This pioneering development is the most ambitious project undertaken in recent times. This is an extraordinary exceptional project."

He added: "It is an exciting unique concept with enormous potential. After a year that has seen the loss of almost 16,000 jobs in the mid-west region alone, this development is a vital lifeline to the economy of North Tipperary."

(DW/BMcC)