A €3 million temporary train station being built for next year’s Ryder Cup has come under backlash, with critics arguing the money would have been better spent on a permanent rail stop for the local community.

Construction has begun on the temporary station in Adare, Co. Limerick, which will provide a shuttle rail service from Limerick Junction for spectators travelling to the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in September 2027.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has defended the project, saying the temporary station is needed to help transport thousands of visitors to one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

However, Sinn Féin Senator Joanne Collins has questioned why the investment is not being used to deliver a lasting piece of transport infrastructure.

She said it would have represented better value for taxpayers if the station had been built as a permanent facility instead of one designed solely for the tournament.

According to Senator Collins, the issue focuses on the need to raise a nearby bridge by around one metre. She claimed that if planning work had begun several months earlier, a permanent station could have been delivered instead.

‘It always seems to be the case in this country that the cart goes before the horse,’ she said, arguing that earlier planning could have avoided the need for a temporary solution.

Irish Rail says work is now underway on the station, which will facilitate a return shuttle service between Limerick Junction and Adare during the Ryder Cup.

The company says the project forms part of wider transport plans for the tournament, which is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors from Ireland and overseas.

The Ryder Cup will take place at Adare Manor from September 17 to 19 next year.