Seven years after plans were first drawn-up for new sports pitches, parkland and community infrastructure for Galway city’s western surburbs, An Coimisiún Pleanála has granted permission.
Twelve acres of greenspace at Millers Lane, and on the neighbouring Kingston Lands, may now be transformed into state-of-the-art sporting and recreational amenities for Knocknacarra, where a lack of facilities has been a perennial problem for its 24,000 residents.
The proposed development will include pitches, buildings, viewing terraces and car parking in a multi-phase development estimated by sources close to the project to cost €70 million in total.
For Millers Lane, permission has been granted for a solar-powered, two-story building with a sports hall and shower facilities. Also included are children’s play areas, multi-use games area, climbing wall, calisthenics area, viewing terraces, coach bays and 27 car-parking spaces.
For the northern half of Kingston Park, a 4G rugby pitch, 50 car parking spaces and 82 bike racks have been approved alongside a two-story multi-use building with a large community hall, sensory rooms and café. It will be served by new access routes from Altan Road, Doire Gheal, and St John the Apostle National School.
One flood-lit soccer pitch and one flood-lit, multi-sport pitch laid out for hockey are integral to the plans, welcomed by Connacht Hockey in statement.
“The campaign for additional hockey facilities in Galway stretches back almost two decades,” it said. “There have been countless meetings, submissions, funding applications and consultations along the way. The proposed development now includes what our hockey community has sought for so long: a full-sized, floodlit 2G sand-filled synthetic hockey pitch, together with associated changing and community facilities.”
City West councillor, Clodagh Higgins, said approval from the national planning body was “a huge moment for Knocknacarra and beyond” but focus must now shift to funding construction and delivery.
“I want clarity on the overall funding requirement, the funding streams available to us, the next steps towards tender and – crucially - a realistic timeline for getting works underway,” she said.
Higgins praised Connacht Hockey, Galway Bay Rugby, Bohemians FC, city council officials, Minister Patrick O’Donovan, former Minister Catherine Martin, and her fellow public representatives across Galway for driving plans forward.
“Projects of this scale don’t happen overnight, and today’s milestone builds on the work and commitment of many people over many years,” she said.
Galway city council is expected to apply for funding under the Government’s 2026 Community Sport Facilities Fund, which is capped at €500,000, and the next round of Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF ) which can award up to €30 million, but no date has been set for its next dispersal.
The last €135 million LSSIF allocations were in 2024, when Galway received €3.2 million for the Dexcom Stadium, and other projects in Tuam and Kinvarra.
Galway was also allocated €11.25 million in 2020 to build a new aquatic centre, with a private philanthropist offering a further €5 million, and Galway City Council recently securing a €3.5 million loan. This 35 metre swimming pool will be within walking distance of the new Kingston and Millers Lane parks.
