Dublin GAA Granted Permission for New Spawell Training Facility
Dublin's Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has been granted permission to construct a new training facility at the Spawell complex. The site will become the new home for Dublin's Gaelic football and hurling teams. The approval was given despite some objections from local residents.
- The 13.8-hectare site in Templeogue was acquired by Dublin GAA for over €9 million in 2017. - The development plans include three new floodlit GAA pitches, a 500-seater spectator stand with additional terracing for another 500 people, and a new pavilion with 10 changing rooms, a gym, and medical facilities. - A fourth pitch is already under construction on a former pitch-and-putt course that was part of the complex. - Objections from local residents, including the Orwell Park Residents' Association, centered on concerns about increased traffic, inadequate parking, and the overall scale of the project. - An Coimisiún Pleanála (The Planning Commission) rejected the appeals, stating the facility would not seriously injure residential amenities and would provide a "high-quality sports facility for the wider South County Dublin community." - The project is partially funded by a €7 million grant from the government's Large-Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund. - The new development will require the demolition of the existing golf driving range and a partial loss of the current indoor and outdoor soccer pitches. - This is one of two major training facilities being developed by Dublin GAA; a €6.6 million centre of excellence at the former Hollystown Golf Course on the city's northside received planning permission in late 2022.
