Minister for Transport Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, today (Friday) visited the site of what will be a new all-weather pitch for Grangegorman DIT at Broombridge in Dublin 7. Work is about to commence on the development of a new floodlit playing and training pitch for Dublin Institute of Technology, with contractor, Tony Patterson Sportsgrounds Ltd., having been appointed to carry out the work on the site. It is expected that the facility will be ready for use by the end of this year.
The GAA-sized pitch will be suitable for gaelic games, soccer and rugby and will deliver a valuable sports and recreation resource in the Dublin 7 area. The pitch, which will complement the indoor and outdoor sports facilities being developed on the Grangegorman campus, will help to meet the needs of DIT student sports clubs and activities. It will also be available for bookings by local sports clubs, schools and groups.
Visiting the site, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe said: ‘It has been very exciting to see the development of the Grangegorman campus, especially across the last year, and to witness the arrival of the first 1,000 students on campus last September. Plans for the new all-weather pitch marks another significant step along the road to completion of the campus and will provide a valuable resource for students in the years to come. The provision of good sports facilities is vital to encouraging participation in physical activity among students. And as Minister for Sport, I know full well the stress students can often face and the benefits that can come from sports, especially where our mental health is concerned’.
“Local community involvement has been central to the development of the Grangegorman DIT project throughout. I am happy to see that that approach is being continued with the new facility open to use by local sporting and recreational groups.”
Sinéad McNulty, Head of Sport at DIT stated that: ‘The Broombridge sports facility is a really exciting development for the Institute and will deliver a fantastic all weather resource not only to DIT student sports clubs, but also to the local sports clubs and residents in the area. We have received huge local support for the development, which brings a derelict site into positive use, and we really look forward to getting the facility up and running later this year.’
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