Liam O'Neill says that the GAA's involvement in the National Sports Campus project was a no-brainer.

The latest phase of the North Dublin development, comprising twelve mini synthetic playing pitches with floodlights at a cost of €3.6 million, was officially opened by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar yesterday.

The pitches will be used by the GAA, hockey, rugby and soccer at club, county, national and schools levels; they will also be available to the general public.

Five full-size GAA pitches are also in the pipeline, one to the exact specifications of Croke Park.

"It's location, location, location," the Association president is quoted in today's Irish Times. "That really is true, because this place is so accessible, from Meath, Kildare and Dublin obviously, or anyone close to the M50. And we're ready to start turning the turf on the pitches, in February.

"We will use it for primary schools, for clubs, for youth development programmes, for second and third level games, county squads, county challenge games, you name it. All that sort of development work.

"I'm not entirely sure yet what Dublin's involvement will be yet, but it's obviously there for them too, perfectly located.

"But I would see it as a hub for this whole area of Dublin, because the GAA doesn't actually have much ground around this area.

"We're also delighted to be part of the wider sporting movement here, and the kind of community that goes with all that. I think the GAA doesn't always see itself as part of the wider sporting context." Tweet

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