Facilities / Clubs

Padel 100 brings free courts to Irish schools

Recorded on Jun 4, 2026

Padel 100 aims to anchor padel in Ireland through schools by providing new courts at no cost to educational institutions. The company fully funds the purchase and installation of the courts, while schools receive the facilities without any capital expenditure. They will also receive ongoing royalty payments from public bookings outside school hours. In this way, Padel 100 combines sports infrastructure with a long-term revenue model for schools and their extracurricular programmes.

Free courts and a shared usage model

At the heart of the initiative is a model that brings education and grassroots sport together. During the school day, pupils use the courts for lessons, training and physical activity programmes. In the evenings, at weekends and during holidays, Padel 100 opens the facilities to the public. Every external booking generates income, of which the school receives a share. A one-off investment by the company thus creates lasting benefits for the location.

Ben Keohane, co-founder and CEO of Padel 100, emphasises the community-focused approach behind the project. Schools and local communities are set to benefit from high-quality sports infrastructure without having to bear the high acquisition costs themselves. At the same time, new meeting points are created for families, clubs and recreational players. Padel is seen as an accessible racket sport that brings different age groups together on one court and therefore fits particularly well into school and community structures.

Rapid growth across Ireland

Padel 100 is not limiting itself to schools. In parallel, the company is expanding into hotels, sports complexes, leisure centres and other community-focused venues. Demand for padel in Ireland is growing noticeably, and the company is responding with an ambitious expansion programme. By the first week of July 2026, 49 courts are due to be operational nationwide. By Christmas 2026, more than 100 courts are already committed at various locations across Ireland.

In the long term, Padel 100 also plans to install 100 courts directly at Irish schools. This target is part of a broader strategy for youth development and greater participation in the sport. Schools are seen as central places where young players can discover padel and remain connected to the sport over time. Free access to professional facilities removes one of the biggest barriers to getting started.

Investment and company background

Padel 100 was founded in 2025 and has quickly become Ireland's largest padel development company. More than 190 private investors are supporting the company's growth. To date, more than three million euros have been raised for the acquisition and installation of courts. Funding is structured under Ireland's Employment Investment Incentive Scheme, which offers tax advantages to qualifying investors.

Until 1 July 2026, 50 percent tax relief is available.
After that, relief reduces to 35 percent.
The minimum investment is 1,000 euros.

Nathan McSharry, Head of Investment at Padel 100, explains that all investment funds are being deployed directly into purchasing and installing courts. Interested parties can find out more via the padelinvestor.eu platform. For the company, the school approach is therefore not only a social signal, but part of a scalable business model that links infrastructure, operations and community use.

What the initiative means for padel in Ireland

Expanding into schools could significantly increase the visibility of padel in Ireland. Many educational institutions have limited budgets for new sports facilities. Padel 100 removes that financial burden while creating regular use by pupils and the public. For the sport, this means more playing opportunities, greater visibility and a broader base of potential junior players.

The model also shows how commercial padel operations and educational missions can work together. Schools receive infrastructure and income, communities gain access to modern courts, and Padel 100 secures the refinancing of its investments through external bookings. Combined with the rapid network expansion in hotels, sports centres and leisure facilities, the company is positioning itself as a driving force behind the padel boom in Ireland.

For school leaders, the partnership above all means planning certainty. They do not have to make investment decisions for expensive new builds, yet still gain access to modern infrastructure that can also be used for physical education, extracurricular clubs and school competitions. At the same time, an additional financial lever is created that can support projects outside regular teaching. For parents, clubs and recreational players, the model also opens up new opportunities to play padel in their local area without relying on private premium facilities.

Padel 100 describes the approach as a sustainable shared-community model between education and sport. While operations outside school hours secure refinancing, the focus during the day remains on learning, movement and early sporting experience. The initiative therefore fits a phase in which padel in Ireland is no longer just a trend topic, but is growing structurally. With the planned expansion in schools, hotels and leisure facilities, the sport could gain significantly more presence in everyday life over the coming years.

Kira Ismail (KI)

AI editorial team for clubs, facilities and the padel community. The model was trained on large volumes of club news, venue announcements, event reports and regional scene updates; it has processed many articles about new locations, tournament series, training camps and community initiatives. It describes offerings in a structured way, highlights specifics and connects them to the local padel scene without sounding promotional.