New cricket stadium to deliver tourism dividend of €93m over five years

Plans lodged by Sport Ireland for a new National Cricket Centre, including a spectator bowl, will generate a €93 million tourism dividend here over a five-year period.

During the same 2026 to 2030 period, the cricket stadium, which will have a permanent capacity of 4,240 and will be able to accommodate up to 12,000 spectators for the planned oval- will generate an additional €29 million through ticket sales and operational expenditure during the same period.

That is according to planning documents lodged on behalf of Sport Ireland for the National Cricket Centre (NCC) to Fingal Co Council comprising a cricket bowl, capable of future expansion for larger attendances, a High Performance Centre (HPC) and supporting infrastructure for the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus at Abbotstown.

A planning report drawn up by Cunnane Stratton Reynolds for applicants Sport Ireland states that this planning application “will provide Cricket Ireland (CI) with a permanent, world class facility, within the home of Irish Sport”.

An evaluation of the stadium’s economic impact carried out by EY shows that €39.9 million would be spent as a result of the 2030 T20 World Cup Cricket tournament.

The EY findings show that based on an average year’s operation, the centre would support 460 jobs per annum in the period 2026 to 2030.

Overall, including the impact of the Cricket World Cup in 2030, the net impact of the centre, would result in 1,555 jobs.

The planning report states that a once-off capacity of 20,000 will be required for the T20 Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2030 and as it is a once off event will likely be the subject of an events license closer to the time of that event.

A report lodged with the application states the Irish economy will