Dublin GAA County Board has secured final approval for a major new state-of-the-art training centre in south Dublin, despite objections from local residents.
An Coimisiún Pleanála has upheld South Dublin County Council’s decision to grant planning permission for the proposed “GAA cluster facility” at the existing Spawell sports and leisure centre near the M50 in Templeogue. The Commission rejected several appeals, including submissions from the Orwell Park Residents Association.
Subject to a range of planning conditions, the Commission said the development would provide “a high-quality sports facility for the wider South County Dublin community.” It concluded the project would not seriously injure residential amenities, harm biodiversity, negatively affect road safety, or detract from the character of the area.
The plans involve demolishing the existing golf driving range and removing part of the indoor and outdoor soccer pitches. In their place, three new floodlit GAA pitches with electronic scoreboards and dugouts will be built, along with an indoor training facility. A stand seating 500 spectators and two uncovered terraces accommodating a further 500 people are also included.
A new pavilion will contain 10 changing rooms, showers, a dining room, gym, tuck shop, meeting room, physio and first aid facilities, and a medical room. A fourth pitch is already under construction on a former pitch and putt course at the 13.8-hectare site, which Dublin GAA purchased for more than €9 million in 2017. Additional features include a 105-metre L-shaped hurling wall, an all-weather sprint training area, and a 1.32km walking and jogging trail.
Dublin GAA has secured a €7m grant from the Government’s large scale sport infrastructure fund. The Commission directed that the development proceed on a phased basis and specified that the kitchen and dining area must not operate as “a commercial eatery” without separate planning permission. Floodlights will be limited to 10pm between October and March, and an event traffic management plan will be required. Measures to protect local bat and badger habitats must also be implemented.
Revised plans submitted in October 2024 included a “comprehensive redesign” addressing environmental and traffic concerns, including relocation of the pavilion and overflow parking. Car parking has increased from 112 to 155 spaces, excluding 19 overflow spaces. Dublin GAA said the project represents “a very significant addition to the area’s active recreational infrastructure” and described the walking trail as “a significant community gain.”
