COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN, NEWCASTLE, RATHCOOLE, SAGGART AND BRITTAS AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

QUESTION NO. 9

QUESTION: Councillor D. Adelaide

To ask the Chief Executive for a report regarding all weather pitches in the local electoral area (LEA) which should indicate whether the council views the current number as sufficient and what plans are in place to meet current and future needs?

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council commissioned a Sport Pitch Strategy (SPS) in 2020 to provide the Council with a clear evidence base and set of recommendations for future outdoor sports facility development across the district. A SPS is a strategic assessment that provides an up-to-date analysis of supply and demand for playing pitches (grass and artificial) in the local authority. The strategy and the evidence upon which it is based is delivered using insight from specific Governing Bodies of Sport, national guidance and local stakeholder input.  The strategy focused on the following sports: Soccer, GAA, Rugby Union, Hockey, Cricket and Athletics. The SPS is an important document in the future locations of additional floodlit artificial grass pitches as it provides evidence based upon local team usage and future team generation rates that would be the predominant users of the facility. The SPS demonstrates that the requirement for grass sports pitches generally is growing and in order to meet that requirement; there is a need to provide Artificial Grass Pitches in both this LEA and elsewhere in the county (amongst other complementary actions identified within the SPS as well). The provision of Artificial Grass Pitches across the county are a strategic provision. Artificial Grass Pitches are as a vital recreational asset to the local community in terms of a training and match-play facility for clubs, teams and others. The delivery of the SPS is reviewed on a regular basis and implementation is reported and discussed at the relevant SPC.

Artificial grass pitches can support far more matches and training sessions compared to regular grass pitches and the sports pitch strategy recommends the provision of at least 5 No. pitches across the county to allow for an even distribution and facilitate use county-wide. At present; there is a council approved and funded Artificial Grass Pitch Programme agreed and underway. 2 No. artificial grass pitches pitches have been delivered (at Airlie Park and Sean Walsh Park) as part of this programme of delivery, the other 3 no. required locations are in the west and east of the county and within the new Strategic Development Zone area at Clonburris. Within the Clondalkin, Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Brittas Area, the areas proposed for Artificial Grass Pitch provision include 1 new pitch currently just granted planning permission in the Clonburris Area (the SDZ proposes 1 No. GAA sized / multi sport Artificial Grass Pitch and 1 No. soccer sized / multi-sport Artificial Grass Pitch -the second mentioned is within the Clondalkin, Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Brittas Local Electoral Area). The Clonburris SDZ plans were agreed with the council and approved by An Bord Pleanála. Other Artificial Grass pitches have been proposed elsewhere across the county to allow for a distribution of facilities across the county and there is a Part 8 underway for the Artifical Grass pitch in the east of the county currently. Once completed; the team will proceed to the proposal for the west of the county to identify a suitable location there, consideration will include lands within the Clondalkin, Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Brittas Local Electoral Area, and the location will be dependant on site availability, site suitability and other feasibility assessments.