Basketball Ireland’s plans for a major redevelopment of the National Basketball Arena have been approved by South Dublin County Council.
The €38m (£32m/$42m) project, which will see the multi-sport arena double its capacity to 3,272, is expected to take 18 months to complete. Basketball Ireland first unveiled plans for the project in December 2023 and the budget has increased by €3m since then.
The 8,000-square-metre facility will have space for four basketball courts, a gym, a café, corporate facilities and office space for Basketball Ireland staff. The arena has been designed by NBK Architects.
The arena, which Basketball Ireland claims will be fully accessible and inclusive, has been backed by Ireland’s national volleyball, badminton and squash bodies.
It had originally been hoped that work could begin in the summer of 2025 with a view to the project being completed in time for the 2026-27 season, but no timeline has been finalised.
Environmental considerations have also been factored into the design, with 55 EV charge points and solar panels with a view to ensuring the building will be constructed to the highest energy efficient standards.
Basketball Ireland chief executive John Feehan said: “This is excellent news and a major step forward in bringing the new National Basketball Arena to fruition. The arena will be transformative for Irish indoor sport, providing state-of-the-art facilities that will be on a par with our European counterparts.
“We haven’t finalised when the arena redevelopment will commence, with financing a key element and we remain hopeful of government support for the project through the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). We expect news on whether we’ve been successful with our LSSIF application in the coming weeks and that will help inform our next steps.”
Seamas Donnelly, chairperson of Basketball Ireland, added: “This is an important milestone for basketball in Ireland. Having a new arena is a key part of our five-year strategic plan and is essential to help maintain the growth of the sport. Our registered playing population increased 21.5% last year alone and revenue generated from the arena will filter down to every area of the game.
“Overall, this is also a huge boost for Irish indoor sport. The new arena will provide a best-in-class amenity, which is crucial as we all continue to strive for excellence.”
