In a significant boost to the development of cricket in the country, the Irish government announced on Wednesday its approval for the construction of a new 4,000-seater cricket stadium in Dublin, which will co-host the 2030 Men’s T20 World Cup alongside England and Scotland.
The project, set to be located in Blanchardstown, will also include a state-of-the art high performance centre and some ancillary facilities, and is scheduled to be completed by 2028.
The proposed facility is expected to include both indoor and outdoor practice and training areas, as well as an arena for holding major games with associated media and spectator facilities.
Minister for Sports Catherine Martin said that the new facility will deliver “a transformational impact on Irish cricket”, as the T20 format of the game is set to be one of the five new sports to feature at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
“While cricket is a sport with really deep roots in Ireland, it’s also a sport that reflects the diversity and plurality of today’s society. It is really pleasing to see how the sport has grown, at all levels, in Ireland over recent years, particularly the increase in female participation numbers and among our growing community from South Asia,” she said.
The Minister said that the stadium, along with the high performance centre, will provide Cricket Ireland with the facilities required to further grow participation numbers.
“As we enjoy the success of Team Ireland athletes at the Olympics in Paris, we look forward to the return of cricket as an Olympic sport in Los Angeles in 2028. I have no doubt that this new facility will deliver a transformational impact on Irish cricket and, as a result, we will be cheering on Irish teams at Olympic Games in the not too distant future,” she added.