A Community Sports Campus for Carrigaline

Plans to develop rugby and athletics facilities at Kilnagleary have evolved into a much broader vision for a Community Sports Campus designed to meet the long-term sporting, recreational and community needs of Carrigaline.

Originally developed by Carrigaline Rugby Club before later partnering with Carrigaline Athletics Club, the project has expanded following engagement with local organisations and Cork County Council. What began as a shared rugby and athletics development has grown into a proposal for a campus that could also support basketball, Special Olympics, Order of Malta, schools, community groups and families.

Carrigaline Sports Partnership CLG, established by Carrigaline Rugby Club and Carrigaline Athletics Club to progress the original project, now plans to formally broaden its governance structure to include representatives from the wider group of participating organisations.

During this transition phase, the wider Community Sports Campus group has been working collaboratively under the chairmanship of John McNulty (Carrigaline Basketball Club), supported by a Memorandum of Understanding between the participating organisations. This collaborative approach has enabled the expanded vision to develop while building the partnership structures required to support future delivery.

John McNulty, Karina Cremin, Tadgh Leonard, David Harrington, Jim O'Byrne, Peter O'Regan, Karen Dolman, Robert White, Minister Charlie McConalogue, Jillian Preston Kiely, Billy Barrett TD, Dan Collins, Cllr Patrick Donovan, Paul Lynch, Brenda Poole

Larry Hickey, Chairperson of Carrigaline Athletics Club, commented “The starting point was very practical Carrigaline Rugby and Carrigaline Athletics needed facilities to support their continued growth. However, as conversations developed, it became clear that many organisations were facing similar challenges. A shared campus approach provides an opportunity to make better use of investment, avoid duplication, strengthen access to future funding opportunities and create facilities that benefit the wider community.”

The proposed campus follows a model increasingly being adopted across Ireland, where sporting and community organisations share facilities to maximise public investment, improve accessibility and create infrastructure that benefits the wider community.

Billy Barrett, President of Carrigaline Rugby Club, commented: “The original ambition was to provide much-needed rugby and athletics facilities for Carrigaline, but as engagement widened it became clear that a shared community approach made the most sense. By working together, we have the opportunity to develop facilities that are used more often, by more people, and deliver greater long-term benefit for the whole community.” An independent needs analysis carried out by S3 Solutions during May and June 2025 received responses from 3,697 people, representing around one-fifth of Carrigaline’s population.

The survey found overwhelming support for the proposal, with 99.5% backing the development of a Community Sports Campus. Almost 70% of respondents indicated they expected they would use the proposed facilities at least once a week.

Consultation also took place with 26 sporting, voluntary and community organisations, together with 15 local schools, highlighting the growing demand for additional community infrastructure in one of Cork’s fastest-growing towns.

Indoor swimming facilities emerged as the highest priority identified through the community survey. Cork County Council has advised that future swimming pool provision is being considered through a wider Cork city and county strategic review, assessing existing facilities, population growth, regional needs and the long-term sustainability of future investment.

The Carrigaline Community Sports Campus team has submitted the local survey findings as part of this process and will continue to advocate for public swimming facilities in Carrigaline, supported by strong evidence of community demand and the continued growth of the town and wider catchment area.

The project team has continued to engage closely with Cork County Council, supported by Seamus McGrath TD and by Councillors Jack White and Patrick Donovan, all three of whom are active members of the Community Sports Campus committee, along with the continued support and advocacy of the wider Carrigaline Municipal District Councillor group.

Cork County Council has recognised the importance of addressing future community infrastructure needs in Carrigaline and has assigned an engineering team to assess the Kilnagleary site and examine how the Community Sports Campus can best be progressed.

The progress achieved to date has been built on more than five years of voluntary effort by Carrigaline Sports Partnership CLG, including extensive technical evaluation of the Kilnagleary site, design development work and securing planning permission for the original rugby and athletics facilities. This work now provides an important foundation for Cork County Council as it evaluates how the broader Community Sports Campus vision can be delivered.

The significant community support received through the Campervan Raffle fundraiser also played an important role in enabling this progress. Funds raised helped support the professional assessments, technical designs and planning preparation required to move the project from an initial concept towards a deliverable community infrastructure proposal.

Seamus McGrath TD welcomed the progress achieved and reaffirmed his support for the initiative “Carrigaline has experienced significant growth over recent decades and it is important that investment in community, recreational and sporting infrastructure keeps pace with the needs of the town and surrounding area.

The work completed by the Carrigaline Community Sports Campus team demonstrates what can be achieved when local organisations come together with a shared ambition. A huge amount of voluntary effort has gone into bringing the project to this stage, including the technical and planning work required to develop a realistic pathway forward.

The engagement with Cork County Council has been very positive, and I will continue to support the project team as they work with the Council, local representatives and other stakeholders to progress this important community project for Carrigaline.”

Councillor Jack White, Chair of the Carrigaline Municipal District, welcomed the continued progress of the project:

“This is exactly the kind of collaborative project that Carrigaline needs. It has grown from an ambitious proposal by Carrigaline Rugby Club and Carrigaline Athletics Club into a genuinely shared vision for our entire community, and that deserves enormous credit.

A huge amount of voluntary work has already been completed behind the scenes by the project committee and participating organisations. I want to acknowledge everyone who has contributed their time, expertise and energy to bringing the project to this stage.

As Chair of the Carrigaline Municipal District, I am proud to support this vision alongside my fellow elected members and Cork County Council. By continuing to work together, I believe we can deliver a Community Sports Campus that will serve Carrigaline for generations to come.”

The project team recently welcomed Minister of State Charlie McConalogue to Carrigaline to visit the Kilnagleary site and discuss the Community Sports Campus proposal.

The visit was organised with the support of Seamus McGrath TD and Councillor Patrick Donovan, who had briefed the Minister comprehensively on the project’s progress and the significant work completed to date.

During the visit, the Minister met representatives of the project team and acknowledged the significant voluntary effort and collaboration that has brought the proposal to its current stage.

Councillor Patrick Donovan commented “I am delighted to work alongside the Carrigaline Sports Partnership and wider Community Sports Campus group in working towards the goal of delivering a first-class sports campus in Carrigaline.

This campus will not only serve Carrigaline town but will benefit the entire region. The work of a dedicated group of volunteers is becoming a reality and I am very proud of their efforts and commitment.

As a public representative, I understand the constraints we face in providing the amenities required for a growing town like Carrigaline. This project will help address those challenges and provide much-needed facilities for future generations.

I want to thank Cork County Council for their commitment to date and look forward to continuing to work together to progress this important project.”

The immediate focus is on working with Cork County Council to agree the most appropriate first phase of development and identify future funding opportunities.

The long-term vision remains the delivery of a shared Community Sports Campus that will provide inclusive, accessible facilities for Carrigaline and the wider community, creating a lasting sporting, recreational and community legacy for future generations.