The first sod on Ireland’s international cricket stadium will be turned at the National Sports Campus in March as Cricket Ireland prepare to co-host the ICC T20 World Cup in 2030 alongside England and Scotland.
Cricket Ireland have never had a permanent home, using various grounds such as Malahide and Clontarf as venues, with the governing body of the sport here having to build ‘pop-up’ structures, the cost of which can run well into six-figure sums
Planning permission has been granted for the 4,000-odd all-seater stadium at Abbotstown, but it’s not expected that there will be any games at the venue until at least 2029.
The ICC insist on grounds with capacity of at least 20,000 but the new stadium will have the ability to be enlarges to facilitate that come the 2030 T20 World Cup.
After the first sod is turned at the location close to the offices of the FAI, the pitch will need to be ready by September to allow for a year of grass establishment. The initial construction phase, including the main oval seating bowl, and essential amenities, is scheduled for completion by March 2028.
A second phase will then follow and will include an upgrade on the existing high-performance centre and the construction of a permanent pavilion.
“We’re at a really advanced stage now,” said Richard Fahey, Cricket Ireland head of facilites and operations, who will be leaving to take over as CEO of Hockey Ireland this year.
“The last two years have been really around design. Planning permission was secured a couple of months back and we have now gone to tender.
“There is a shortlist of ten contractors, and they are now out putting together their tenders which are due in January and they’ll be analysed and we’re hoping that all going well with government approval we’ll be on site at the end of March.
“The focus in phase one, or the first contract, will be on pitch works clearing the site and putting in the seating.
Cricket Ireland regularly use Malahide Cricket Ground for internationals
“In about a year’s time we will go to tender for the second phase, which is the buildings for the players, the match official’s area, and the indoor nets.”
For Cricket Ireland though, it is not just a case of digging up and going to play, there is a lot of work to be done on the project before a ball is bowled and cricket pitches need time to bed in.
“The cricket square itself would require up to three years to mature and cure,” said Fahey.
“We need to have our cricket square in place by September of 2026, and that’s the aim, so there’s a really strong deadline.
“(All being well) that will allow us then to have play in the summer of 2029, a year in advance of the 2030 World Cup, and that will be an ICC requirement for us, that there is play there the year before.
“We’re hoping that we’ll get (to host) somewhere between 12 and 15 matches of the 55 matches in 2030 in Abbotstown and potentially Stormont in Belfast.
“Malahide has been a fantastic host for us. It’s a great village, the club have been fantastic to us, but they have a busy schedule.
“Their club has grown significantly over the last number of years, so they don’t really like us coming in for four or five weeks a year between the build and then playing matches there, and it is a significant cost to us.”
Transport to Abbotstown though is a problem but Fahey says that the infrastructure is coming to the National Sports Campus.
“40% of the population live within one hour from Abbotstown, it’s close to the airport and one of the first elements in phase one is the building of a new road right through the campus, and there will be bus routes that will be coming in through here also.
“There is a plan for a future rail network as well, and a railway station close to the new ground is being proposed.
“We have been working very closely with Sport Ireland in relation to things like parking and transport initiatives, and we work closely with Fingal County Council as well.
“I don’t think it will be an issue.”
The Irish men’s and women’s teams are gearing up for what looks like a busy 2026 with the women’s side heading to Nepal for their T20 World Cup qualifiers, while the men’s side have already qualified for their finals and will see group action in Sri Lanka in February.
George Dockrell is facing into a busy year with the Ireland men’s T20 squad
Veteran player George Dockrell will be part of that men’s squad for the T20 World Cup, and he is hopeful of a decent showing for Ireland.
“It’s a great opportunity to go out playing in Sri Lanka against them, one of the host nations, those kinds of challenges are always really, really special,” he said. “We have the opportunity to go out there, win some games and get through the next stage and I think we have the talent in the squad.”
And on the building of the new stadium in Abbotstown, Dockrell was equally as enthusiastic.
“It’s really exciting, I think, being an Irish cricketer at the moment and seeing the plans for our own national stadium.
“It’s something that we’ve been hoping to have for so many years, and I think it’s a real lift for current players and also future players to know that we’ll have a high-quality, high-performance space that is our own, where we can train, play, and gym all alongside one another in the National Sport Campus.
“Having our own space, somewhere to call our home, somewhere where you can get used to the conditions when opposition are coming over, I think it’ll give us a real boost.”