Hundreds of millions of euro will be invested over the next twenty years by the government in developing new facilities at the Sport Ireland Campus in Abbotstown.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced details of the plan on Thursday afternoon. The first significant infrastructural project is the construction of a long-awaited National Velodrome and Badminton Centre.

A planning application for the €60m project was lodged with Fingal County Council in August, with the work expected to begin in the third quarter of next year.

The refurbishment of Abbotstown House, the delivery of a major athlete accommodation hub as well as 9,000 square metres of office space to cater for 900 staff who work in National governing bodies, are among the other priorities listed.

It is envisaged that other major infrastructural projects including a new Cricket Stadium will be delivered over the life cycle of the masterplan.

However, Minister of State for Sport Jack Chambers stressed that Ireland’s hosting of the 2030 T20 World Cup – Ireland co-host the tournament with England and Scotland – is not dependent on the stadium being ready for use by then.

Aside from the headline projects, the Masterplan Vision is designed to make Abbotstown a destination venue for people from all over the country. Walk and cycle paths are to be installed and a Museum of Sport is to be built.

Furthermore, there will be an emphasis on improving public transport links to the venue and access to the complex will be made easier with the opening of four different entrances.

A new north-south transport corridor is proposed to run through the centre of the site, improving accessibility and enabling different modes of public transport to correct the campus with the surrounding city.

“We will also have small and medium sized project every year and they will be the ones which will reach to sport specific venues across the whole campus,” said Sport Ireland CEO Una May.


Read the full Story in the Irish Independent -