Velodrome first as masterplan for Irish sport unveiled, but costs unknown

A blueprint for Sports Campus Ireland will be completed on a phased basis, taking 15-20 years to complete.

17 November 2022; Left to right, Sport Ireland board chairperson Kieran Mulvey, Sport Ireland Chief Executive Dr Una May, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers TD and Sport Ireland Campus Development Director Tony Lawless during the launch of the Next Phase of the Sport Ireland Campus Masterplan at the National Indoor Arena in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

A MASTERPLAN for the future of Irish sport was unveiled today by Taoiseach Micheál Martin which will see the phased development of “world class facilities” at Sports Campus Ireland.

However, no overall figure was detailed by Sport Ireland or the Department of Sport for the project, which will take up to 20 years to complete – the first phase will cost up to €60m.

Funding for the Sport Ireland Masterplan will instead be delivered on an annual basis through sports capital and budgetary funding, which may present long-term planning difficulties, as Cricket Ireland have recently experienced.

The organisation, which recently took part alongside the top 12 countries in the world at the T20 World Cup in Australia, is anxiously awaiting construction work to begin on a new stadium by next year.

However, the project which is included in the long-term plan in the Sport Ireland blueprint is unlikely to receive planning permission or funding green lights for the foreseeable future – even though it needs to be confirmed by next year in order to co-host the 2030 World Cup with England.

While the future plans for the Campus project include a designated space for a cricket stadium, no details were given on the timing of the project by Sport Ireland.

What is certain is that cycling and badminton will be the first to benefit with the construction of a velodrome and courts beginning next year at a cost of €55-60m.

Much-needed accommodation for up to 180 athletes at any one time is also earmarked for immediate development.

Other facilities planned include a centre of innovation and a museum of Irish Sport within the vast Abbotstown, West Dublin site at Blanchardstown.

A blueprint for the Campus, which is already home to a large number of sports including football, GAA and Rugby training facilities, along with the national aquatic centre and indoor arena, will be completed on a phased basis, taking 15-20 years to complete.

Along with the development of the Velodrome and Badminton Centre, the immediate development will see the refurbishment of Abbotstown House, which will provide the central focus of the accommodation and NGB office facilities with a ‘village’ layout.

The delivery of future hubs and office facilities on the site will “collectively progress through design and planning to construction following the completion of first phase of the Masterplan”.

The accommodation hub, essential for training athletes, will include 120 short-stay beds and 60 long-stay beds, along with conferencing facilities and other work areas.

Additional, but as yet unspecified sporting facilities that will be developed on the site will include high-performance facilities, infrastructure, landscape projects and community facilities.

Speaking at the launch, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the project to date, and its future development, “have been funded by significant Government spending (which) the Government is committed to supporting”.

“The Sport Ireland Campus is already an invaluable asset as part of the sporting infrastructure of the country and the developments as laid out in this document will enhance what are already world-class facilities,” said the Taoiseach.

“We are aware of all the benefits that being involved in sport at any level brings to individuals and communities.” 

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, a former Sports Minister, was also on hand for the unveiling of the project which he said would “ensure the campus is a space for all ages and all abilities”.

“This campus can serve as a wonderful community resource as well as a centre for national sporting excellence,” he said.

A significant emphasis on the Campus Masterplan will be focused on sustainability with a range of ecology and biodiversity plans which are sensitive to local environment, including green corridors and the retention of natural woodlands, hedgerows and waterways.

A sustainable drainage scheme within the site will be used to control the flow of surface water and will feed into a new lake feature which will sit at the heart of the site.