A new 4,000-seat cricket stadium has secured the approval from the Government, with construction set to be completed before the 2030 Men’s T20 World Cup. The tournament will be jointly hosted by Ireland, England, and Scotland.
The Irish cricket fraternity has been discussing the need for a dedicated facility at the Sport Ireland campus in Abbotstown, West Dublin, since 2018. With the Government’s backing secured, the project will enter the tender process in mid-2025 and aims for the initial construction phase completion by 2028.
Both Minister for Sport Catherine Martin and State Minister Thomas Byrne are likely to reveal plans for moving the stadium and a new high-performance centre to the pre-tender stage. The comprehensive project will eventually encompass an indoor school and media facilities, though the cost for this government-funded endeavour hasn’t been established yet.
The development strategy will progress in stages, with the first phase involving a new square with cricket pitches, a 4,000-seat capacity, and a high-performance centre. Though Cricket Ireland previously pencilled in plans for an 8,000-capacity stadium with potential expansion to 20,000 seats, the current scenario proposes a smaller initial capacity, with addition like a media centre to follow subsequently.
This latest development bodes well for Irish cricket, relieving previous apprehensions regarding the completion of the planned stadium before the 2030 World Cup. New pitches require a few years to settle before hosting international matches, a factor considered in the plan for a 2028 completion. For comparison, pitches used for World Cup matches in New York in June by the International Cricket Council were criticised for not being given ample time to settle.
The news also brings hope for a board that had to delay or relocate several domestic international matches due to insufficient facilities. Cricket Ireland, without a permanent ground of its own, has been spending large amounts to transform club grounds like Malahide Cricket Club for international games, leading to instances such as the postponement of a prospective fixture with world champions Australia due to the prohibitive cost. Moreover, home fixtures against South Africa scheduled for later this year have been relocated to the United Arab Emirates.
When it comes to transformations within cricket, this marks the proceeding endorsement of a large-scale proposal that is bound to cause an impact. Early this summer, the city council of Belfast commissioned a multi-facility refurbishment project on the Stormont Estate lands, where Zimbabwe recently lost a Test match to Ireland. This project will require a monetary allocation of £25 million (€29 million) and incorporates the establishment of a new pavilion.
Conversations were resumed by Cricket Ireland with Malahide Cricket Club regarding the potential reconstruction of their pavilion to host international matches. Two years ago, building plans for a scheme estimated at about €3.5 million were prepared but the endeavour halted.
Exact schedules for those schemes are still uncertain. However, when a communication is made by Ms Martin and Mr Byrne concerning Abbotstown, the clearest signal will be given that Ireland is set to have an enduring stadium ready for the 2030 World Cup.