It was announced this week that Ireland could have its very own National Cricket Stadium and High-Performance Centre after government approval was given for the project to move on to the pre-tender phase.
The proposed project will be located at the National Sports Campus in Blanchardstown and will hold 4,000 people.
It will be seen as the home of Irish cricket and will be used for major cricket events in the future.
The final design and completion of the new cricket venue are expected around mid-2025, with the tender phase to follow.
It is speculated that the new venue will have both indoor and outdoor practice and training areas, as well as an arena for holding major games, complete with associated media and spectator facilities.
Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom, who was delighted with the news, believes the new project will help the game grow and develop in the country.
"It is probably up there in terms of significance with the day that we became a full member of the ICC—it is a tribute to the enormous growth that the sport has enjoyed over the last 10 to 15 years at all levels of the game," said Deutrom this week.
"Not just nationally, but provincially and at club level. These facilities will help drive the sport forward; they will significantly assist our highest-performing players nationally and provincially to prepare, train, and perform better on the world stage.
Ireland's Harry Tector (Getty)"It's also going to increase the number of pitches that we can use, helping us ensure that we host more cricket in Ireland. Whether men's, women's, seniors, juniors, nationally or provincially, this new facility will help keep our product, our sport, on our shores.
"Our new permanent ground will also ensure that we have a platform suitable for hosting the world's top teams on an annual basis and also when we co-host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with England and Scotland in 2030."
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, echoed similar sentiments to Deutrom and added that it will also contribute to the growing diversity in the sport: "While cricket is a sport with really deep roots in Ireland, it's also a sport that reflects the diversity and plurality of today’s society.
"It is really pleasing to see how the sport has grown, at all levels, in Ireland over recent years, particularly the increase in female participation numbers and among our growing community from South Asia.
"A National Stadium and High-Performance Centre will provide Cricket Ireland with the facilities required to further grow participation numbers."
