National Handball Centre

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National Handball Centre
Ionad Náisiúnta Liathróid Láimhe
Full nameGAA National Handball Centre
AddressSackville Avenue, Dublin 3, Ireland
LocationCroke Park
Public transitDrumcondra railway station
OwnerPáirc an Chrócaigh Teoranta
Capacity500 (4-Wall Showcourt), 200 (Softball Showcourt)
Construction
OpenedTo be confirmed, opening delayed due to Covid-19 Pandemic
Construction cost€11.5 million[1]
Tenants
Gaelic Athletic Association
GAA Handball
Local community groups
Website
www.gaahandball.ie

The National Handball Centre (Irish: Ionad Náisiúnta Liathróid Láimhe) is an indoor handball facility located on the Croke Park campus in Dublin, Ireland. It is due to serve as both the national venue for All-Ireland Gaelic handball finals once it opens and as the headquarters of GAA Handball, the sport's national governing body. The new centre replaces the old Croke Park Handball Centre that was built in 1970.[2]

History[]

GAA Handball were granted planning approval in late 2017 to build a National Handball Centre at Croke Park.[3]

The new National Handball Centre, located at the southeast corner of the stadium on Sackville Avenue,[4] was close to completion as of January 2021,[5] with the final minor stages of building delayed slightly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The centre is currently being used for COVID-19 testing by Ireland's national health service, the Health Service Executive.[6] The centre has yet to be officially opened by GAA Handball, the GAA's sister organisation, which governs the sport of Gaelic handball.

Facilities[]

The new centre is planned to contain three 4-Wall handball courts - including a three-sided glass wall show court with amphitheatre style seating for a capacity of 500 spectators, a Softball show court with seating capacity for 200 spectators, two additional 4-Wall courts and three 1-Wall courts.[7] The centre includes offices for GAA Handball staff, a bar and cafe as well as a community centre.[8]

Match days[]

The following is a list of the major match days expected to take place on an annual basis in the centre after it opens.[9] The following is not an exhaustive list of all handball events to take place in the centre - it is expected that other national, Leinster provincial and Dublin county fixtures will take place in the centre.[10]

Proposed Date[11] Event Notes
March - April All Ireland 4-Wall Championships - Men's and Ladies Open Singles and Doubles Championships[12]
March - April All Ireland 4-Wall Juvenile Semi-Finals and Finals[13]
March - April Cumann Na mBunscoil boys and girls days[14]
May - June All Ireland Hardball Championships - Open Singles and Doubles Finals[15]
July All Ireland One-Wall Championships - all grades finals There is currently no All-Ireland Championships in the One-Wall/Wallball code of handball. The elite championships in Ireland for One-Wall handball/Wallball is the Irish Wallball Nationals, which currently take place every July in Breaffy House Arena, County Mayo.
September - October All Ireland Softball Championships - Men's and Ladies Open Singles and Doubles Championships[16]
September - October All Ireland Softball Championships - Juvenile Semi-Finals and Finals[17]
TBC European 1-Wall Tour Stop Likely to take place in November. Note there is currently no Irish Stop on the European 1-Wall Tour.[18]
September - October (Every three Years) World Handball Championships The 2021 World Championships were due to take place in Ireland however these have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[19]

Ownership and operation[]

The National Handball Centre building and the site it occupies are owned by Páirc an Chrócaigh Teoranta, the firm that oversees the running of Croke Park.[20] The centre is expected to be managed and operated by a joint venture company under a long-term lease. This company comprises a partnership between the GAA and the 'Irish Handball Sports Centre', a local community group. According to the GAA, "its primary purpose is the promotion of handball" and "it can never be repurposed" or "changed in any way or indeed sold without GAA consent".[21]

References[]

  1. ^ "GAA Annual Report 2021" (PDF). Gaelic Athletic Association. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  2. ^ "History". GAA Handball. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Croke Park handball centre gets go-ahead after 28-year battle". Irish Times. 21 October 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  4. ^ D'Arcy, Ciarán. "Croke Park handball centre gets go-ahead after 28-year battle". The Irish Times.
  5. ^ "GAA Handball Official Twitter Account". Twitter. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  6. ^ O'Sullivan, Jennie (30 March 2020). "Covid-19 testing under way at four Cork, Kerry centres".
  7. ^ "National Handball Centre - Update". GAA Handball.
  8. ^ D'Arcy, Ciarán. "Croke Park handball centre gets go-ahead after 28-year battle". The Irish Times.
  9. ^ "Dublin City Council Planning Department - National Handball Centre planning document from SSA Architects" (PDF). Dublin City Council Planning Department. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Dublin City Council Planning Department - National Handball Centre planning document from SSA Architects" (PDF). Dublin City Council Planning Department. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Dublin City Council Planning Department - National Handball Centre planning document from SSA Architects" (PDF). Dublin City Council Planning Department. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Dublin City Council Planning Department - National Handball Centre planning document from SSA Architects" (PDF). Dublin City Council Planning Department. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Dublin City Council Planning Department - National Handball Centre planning document from SSA Architects" (PDF). Dublin City Council Planning Department. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  14. ^ "Dublin City Council Planning Department - National Handball Centre planning document from SSA Architects" (PDF). Dublin City Council Planning Department. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Dublin City Council Planning Department - National Handball Centre planning document from SSA Architects" (PDF). Dublin City Council Planning Department. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Dublin City Council Planning Department - National Handball Centre planning document from SSA Architects" (PDF). Dublin City Council Planning Department. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Dublin City Council Planning Department - National Handball Centre planning document from SSA Architects" (PDF). Dublin City Council Planning Department. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  18. ^ "Dublin City Council Planning Department - National Handball Centre planning document from SSA Architects" (PDF). Dublin City Council Planning Department. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  19. ^ "The 2021 World Handball Championships have been cancelled". Scoreline.ie. Scoreline.ie. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  20. ^ "Croke Park takes on commercial management of second GAA venue". The Stadium Business. 13 December 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  21. ^ "GAA Annual Report 2021" (PDF). Gaelic Athletic Association. Retrieved 25 February 2021.


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