Community 'at heart' as Portlaoise GAA state-of-the-art plan details go to Laois council

Details of Portlaoise GAA's ambitious plans to modernise and expand its facilities look set to make the Laois club one of the best equipped to develop as a hub for Gaelic Games in Ireland.

New indoor pitches, a state-of-the-art clubhouse, a floodlit all-weather pitch, and a stand for spectators are the highlight elements of what looks set to be a multi-million euro development at Rathleague.

If it materialises, the sports project will mark a remarkable recovery for a club that was plunged into crisis when its original plans collapsed as the Celtic Tiger imploded.

Extensive development plans compiled by Henry J Lyons Architects, in collaboration with the design team, have been submitted on behalf of Portlaoise GAA as part of a full planning application submission to Laois County Council.

An architectural design statement submitted to planners says the proposed sports campus “re-imagines” Rathleague with the aim of “revitalising” for both club and community, which it is stated is “at the heart” of the project.

“The new campus will be an explicitly welcoming hub of activity for the broader community of Portlaoise,” says the statement finalised in May.

The design document seen by the Leinster Express / Laois Live says the clubhouse and associated outhouses will be demolished.

The centrepiece 10,000 square metre construction project will be made up of a new clubhouse that will include a grandstand and indoor training facility that will be attached to the club's main playing pitch.

This complex includes: SEE BELOW PICTURE

• Changing rooms,
• Communal areas,
• Café/merchandise shop,
• Town hall,
• Gym,
• Physio room,
• Comms room,
• Function room & kitchen,
• Bar,
• Two meeting rooms,
• Four outdoor handball courts.

A big addition from a sporting perspective in the complex will be the addition of an indoor training field of about 6,175 sqm. This is about half the size of a GAA pitch.

Plant rooms, and ESB substation, and ancillary storage will also be required at the main facility.

This complex is just one element of the project which will see some big changes to the playing areas.

Changes are planned to the layouts of the existing five natural grass outdoor training pitches.

One of the pitches will be converted for all-weather use with a synthetic pitch laid. This pitch will also get new floodlights,, spectator fencing, ball stop netting and associated works.

This work will include spectator fencing and floodlighting on one of the grass pitches. Some of the ball stop netting will be realigned. MORE BELOW PHOTO

In-game facilities will improve with the provision of four dugouts and two scoreboards.

While a new stand is planned for spectators attached to the main complex, a spectator terrace with seating capacity for about 420 is also envisaged.

Other significant changes are being made to the infrastructure and access.

The club wants to relocate the existing car park to a new site just inside the main gates. This would provide 227 car parking spaces with 13 accessible spaces and 23 EV spaces. A bus set down area and and four bus parking spaces are planned.
The club is also seeking permission for additional overflow parking.

As part of enhancing the environmental credentials of the facility, the designers have provided for 227 bicycle parking spaces.
Work is also intended on the R425 road to provide traffic calming measures. This would be in the form of concrete buildouts and islands. A pedestrian crossing is also planned, as is associated line marking and signage.

Permission to redesign the existing vehicular entrance along the R425 road is also being sought to provide pedestrian/cycle access. Another change is the provision of a new emergency vehicle entrance only onto the R425.

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Amendments to and the extension of the existing amenity track and lighting is another element of the development.
A range of other elements to the plan include: Provision of static storage for firefighting; boundary treatments including the retention of existing hedgerow; foul water pumping station and rising main, irrigation well with pump; hard and soft landscaping footpaths; pitch fencing; planting and landscaping works. MORE BELOW PHOTO.

The design statement says Portlaoise GAA club is recognised as one of the most successful clubs in Ireland, “dedicated to enriching the lives of its members, families, and the wider Portlaoise community through Gaelic Games and the core values of the GAA”.

While sport is central, the benefit to the community is highlighted.

”A central pillar of this commitment is ensuring that the club’s facilities are fully equipped to meet the needs of both its members and the wider Portlaoise community,” it said.

This plan is the third set of designs drawn up for the development of Rathleague. The initial project failed due to the property crash, while the club set aside more recent plans after a local family offered their support.

The latest redevelopment of the club is supported by Travis and Maryse Knight (née Fitzpatrick) in commemoration of Maryse’s beloved brother and nephew, Eoin and Dylan Fitzpatrick. MORE BELOW PHOTO.

Pictured: Eoin Fitzpatrick pictured with his eldest child Cian, alongside Dylan, after a Portlaoise game. 

Eoin and Dylan tragically lost their lives in a road traffic accident in Turkey in July 2023.

Maryse and Travis spoke about the project reaching the planning phase.

“It’s been incredibly heartening to see the passion and commitment displayed by everyone involved in this project to date. It further demonstrates the sense of community and togetherness that has helped our family immeasurably over the past two years. It also reinforces our belief that this is the right way to honour Eoin and Dylan in a meaningful and enduring way,” the said.

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Eamon Fennelly and Dermot Costelloe, joint Chairpersons of Portlaoise GAA Club, also commented.

"Pending planning approval, this redevelopment would not only enhance our club’s sporting infrastructure but also provide the town’s young people with resources and facilities to help them reach their full potential. 

The redevelopment would represent a significant contribution to the sporting and social fabric of Portlaoise and we are incredibly grateful to Maryse and Travis whose support enables this,” they said.

The completion target is the summer of 2027.