Dublin GAA Granted Approval for New Arena
Dublin GAA has been granted approval for a new training facility and a 500-seat arena at the Spawell complex. The development aims to provide enhanced training capabilities for Gaelic games and create a new venue for smaller sporting events in the region.
- The journey to this approval was lengthy; Dublin GAA initially lost a bid for the Spawell site in 2015 before successfully purchasing the 35-acre property in 2017 for over €9 million. - This development replaces a more ambitious plan from 2011 to build a 25,000-capacity stadium on the site, which was shelved in 2017 due to concerns over its estimated €45 million cost. - The approved plans are extensive, featuring four floodlit pitches, a 2,050-square-metre pavilion with 10 changing rooms and a gym, a 105-metre long hurling wall, and a 1.32km perimeter walking and jogging track. - The new 500-seat stand will be supplemented by uncovered terraces on either side, providing space for an additional 500 spectators. - To make way for the new GAA facilities, the existing golf driving range and parts of the indoor and outdoor soccer pitches at the Spawell Leisure Centre will be demolished. - The project's approval by An Coimisiún Pleanála came after overcoming appeals from local residents' associations who raised concerns about traffic, parking, and noise. - This is one of two major training hubs being developed by Dublin GAA; in 2022, they were also granted permission for a €6.6 million centre of excellence at the former Hollystown Golf Club on the north side of the city. - A significant financial boost for the project has been secured through a €7 million grant from the government's Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund.
