NSCDA Brochure

8/12/2019 NSCDA Brochure

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Abbotstown



Project BackgroundThe National Sports Campusproject began life in 2004when the Governmentannounced that it planned todevelop a major sports Campuson the state-owned lands atAbbotstown.

The first task was to prepare a Development Control Planwhich looked at what might be provided on the site. ThatDevelopment Control Plan envisaged a mix of outdoor and

indoor facilities along with Athlete Accommodation, SportsScience and Medical facilities. It also took on board theneed for facilities for both team sports and individual sports.Finally it also looked at the provision of an administrationarea for the various National Governing Bodies of the manysports which operate in Ireland.*

* In keeping with its remit, the NSCDA is encouraging theNational Governing Bodies of various sports to relocatetheir headquarters to Abbotstown. The first such move

was completed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI),which came on site in December 2007.



The National Sports Campus Development Authority (NSCDA)was established on a statutory basis on 1 January 2007 in orderto deliver the project for which the Government had alreadyallocated funding under the National Development Plan.

The principal functions of NSCDA are set out as being thedevelopment, furnishing and equipping of the sports Campusand then the management and operation of all the facilitiestherein. The new Authority was also given responsibility forthe operation of the National Aquatic Centre.

The next task of the NSCDA was to hold a competition toappoint a project management team and a design team. Giventhe scale of the project, a competition was held throughoutEurope to attract the two best teams.

In April 2008, The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourismannounced the appointment of Davis Langdon PKS as projectmanagers and Faulknerbrowns as lead architects. Bothcompanies have outstanding track records for deliveryin their respective fields.

Since their appointment the two companies, along with otherspecialist advisors who are part of their overall Project Designteam, have been preparing a detailed Planning Application forsubmission to Fingal County Council. The Planning Applicationis now ready to be lodged.

Dan Flinterchairman,national sports campusdevelopment authority



Competingat thehighest level

In order to compete at the

highest possible level, Irishsportsmen and sportswomenneed and deserve world-classfacilities.In the past, we have seen Ireland’s most

talented athletes having to locate overseasin order to realise their full potential.

It is against this background that the Government decideda number of years ago to develop a National Sports Campusin Ireland which would ensure that our top athletes wouldno longer have to go abroad for training purposes.



The first step was the creation of the National AquaticCentre which opened in 2003 for the Special OlympicsSummer Games. The next step is the creation of aNational Campus which will ensure that our topperformers, whether in team or individual sports, havestate-of-the-art training facilities and scientific supportto help them prepare for world-class competition.

The National Sports Campus Development Authorityis very conscious that the planned Campus is locatedin a large, vibrant residential community. As has beenthe case with the National Aquatic Centre from the

outset, the Authority has deliberately planned to includefacilities which can be enjoyed by members of thelocal Community.

The lands at Abbotstown were all rezoned in 2007by Fingal County Council from “agricultural usage” to“open space and recreational usage”. The application

for Planning Permission to develop the National SportsCampus is in full compliance with the approved zoningand the existing Development Control Plan. It is hopedthat planning permission will be forthcoming which willenable the Authority to fulfil the dreams and ambitionsof all concerned.

Barry O’Brienchief executive,national sports campusdevelopment authority



The National Sports Campus isplanned to provide a wide range ofsports facilities which can be usedby Ireland’s top athletes from a widevariety of different sports.The Campus is being built around a centralcore which will consist of:• National Indoor Training Centre

• National Indoor Athletics Training Centre• National Gymnastics Training Centre• Sports Science and Medicine Facilities• Athletes Accommodation• Elite Athletes Fitness and Conditioning Centre• Boxing Training Centre• National Field Sports

Training Centre

Facilities for

Our Athletes



These core facilities will include:• A multi-purpose

indoor hall with up to

12 courts for indoorsports.• A 6-lane 200 metre

running track.• A 60 metre sprint

track.• A 110 metre sprint

track and jumps pit.• Throwing and vaulting areas.• Accommodation for approx. 200 athletes.• Medical facilities including consultation rooms,

hydrotherapy, a physiology lab, biochemicalanalysis and physiotherapy rooms

• A fitness and conditioning area to includeequipment for cardiovascular work, resistance,free weights and exercise.

Radiating out from this central core will be a wide rangeof facilities for our National Field Sports of Rugby, Soccer,Hockey, Gaelic Football, Hurling and Camogie.

The sports of Rugby and Soccer will also have access todedicated covered training areas to ensure our internationalteams have facilities which are second to none.

In total, there will be 22 pitches for training and playingon a variety of all-weather and replica international surfaces.More specifically:• Rugby - 3 outdoor, 1 indoor• Soccer - 6 outdoor, 1 indoor• Hockey - 2 all-weather• Gaelic Games - 4 outdoor• NSCDA - 5 Multi-Sport pitches.

All the outdoor facilities – including those for localcommunity usage – will be to the highest standards andmost will be floodlit.

All sports will have excellent changing facilities; meetingrooms; access to the indoor training facilities; and accessto the Sports Science and Medicine area.

There is also a location reserved on the Masterplanfor a Cycling Velodrome which has been a key trainingrequirement of Cycling Ireland for many years. Similarly,there is also a site reserved for a National HandballCentre which the GAA would like to see developedin the coming years.



In creating the National Aquatic Centre,the Government was always consciousthat there should be a benefit to the localcommunity in which the facility is located.This policy will continue with the varioussporting facilities planned for the NationalSports Campus.Included in the plan are a series of dedicated outdoorall–weather facilities at Abbotstown which will be availablefor use by local teams and individuals on commercial terms.These include:• Up to 15 synthetic pitches, all of which will be floodlit• A rebound wall for skills training• One major multisport playing area

• 3 Pitches for Outdoor Field Sports

Similarly, members of the localcommunity will also have access to:• The National Athletics

Training Centre

• The National GymnasticsTraining Centre• The National Indoor

Training Centre.

Facilities for

the Community



Perhaps the most exciting news of all for the localcommunity is the future development of a Parkland Areaon the site which can be enjoyed by everyone.

The intention is to develop this Parkland Area in conjunctionwith Fingal County Council. A draft Memorandum of Understanding has been developed by both bodies forthis purpose. The area is to the South West of the siteand covers 58 HAs/143 acres which would approximateto the size of two full sized 18-hole golf courses.

The intention is that this area will be developed in sucha way as to provide both casual and passive recreationalfacilities, including:

• Children’s play areas• Walking, jogging and cycling trails• Picnic, barbeque and coffee shop facilities• Areas for teamwork, light exercise and stretching



The NationalSports Campus at

AbbotstownMasterplan





Artists impression - for illustrative purposes only.



Authority Members

William Attley

Seán Benton

Bernadette CroninMary Davis

Seán Donnelly

Pat Hickey

Dan Flinter Chairman

Tom Kiernan

Caroline Murphy

Arthur O’BrienMiriam O’Callaghan

Christy O’Connell

John Treacy

Authority Staff

David Conway

Kitty Maloney

Bernadette O’Shea

Barry O’Brien Chief Executive Officer

Stephen Ryan

Rosabelle Welsh



Further Information

If you have any queries in relationto the National Sports Campusplease do not hesitate to contact us.You can write to us at:InformationNational Sports Campus Development AuthorityTop Floor, Block AWest End Office ParkBlanchardstownDublin 15

or email:[email protected]

Further information on the entire project can be found on our website:

www.nscda.ie

Documents

NSCDA Brochure