Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County to build new sport and recreation facilities worth over EUR 10 mln

The Samuel Beckett Civic Campus Phase 2 and the St. Thomas Multisport Campus have been approved for funding

The Irish Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has allocated €5 million for the construction of a multi-sports building, civic amenities and library for Samuel Beckett Civic Campus (Phase 2) in Ballyogan, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council announced. The funding will come from the Large Scale Support Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).

Acclaimed Irish writer and Nobel Prize winner Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) was an avid sportsman throughout his life, so naming the Civic Campus project after him was only too natural.  

Phase 2 of the project will include a multi-purpose sports building with Sports Hall, Children's and 25m Swimming Pools, Dance Studio and Gym, a two storey Library, a two storey Car Parking Facility and a hard landscaped Civic Plaza. This new multi-sports building will expand the initial phase of the project, which was completed in 2016 and featured a community building, three grass sports pitches, three astro football pitches, a children’s playground and skate area.

The sports building’s design complies with NZEB standards (Nearly Zero – Energy Buildings) and incorporates solar panels on the roof.

Multi-sport campus will be open to top athletes and sports aficionados

Further funding of €5.25 million was also granted for a multi-sport campus at St Thomas, Tibradden Road, adjacent to Marlay Park. Supported by the Council, Dundrum South Dublin Athletics Club (DSD AC) and seven national governing sports bodies, the centre will feature an outdoor 400 metre running track, an indoor sprint track, a multi-use gymnasium and other high quality indoor and outdoor amenities for gymnastics, archery, fencing, cycling and triathlon, as well as Special Olympics facilities.

The top-class multi-sport campus will allow sporting organizations to train and produce athletes in a range of disciplines with an eye on competing on the international stage, while also providing access to the general public.  In addition, the multi-sport nature of the project involving clubs sharing the facilities, will see synergies between the sporting bodies which will lead to greater participation in sports by ordinary county residents, according to DLR county council.

Speaking on the occasion, Shay Brennan, chairperson of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown councillors said, quoted by the DLR county council website:

“Both projects will provide local residents and those further afield with the most modern sports and recreation facilities in the country, in line with the Councils aims of enriching quality of life through the provision of amenities to further develop vibrant communities while working closely with local stakeholders.”