Minister Byrne TD Opens New Building on Sport Ireland Campus in Preparation for Paris 2024

Sport Ireland and the Olympic Federation of Ireland have announced the opening of a new building on the Sport Ireland Campus, marking another milestone in both organisations’ preparations for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. Minister for Sport and Physical Education, Thomas Byrne TD, was on hand to open the new piece of infrastructure.

The new building will accommodate offices for the Olympic Federation of Ireland downstairs, while upstairs, a separate dedicated athlete lounge will provide a space for rest and recuperation between training sessions. This marks the beginning of a move towards developing an athlete village feel on the Sport Ireland Campus, with further developments planned.

Commenting on the opening of the new building, Minister Byrne said: "I am delighted to officially open The Long Barn. This new multifunctional space provides space for both the Olympic Federation of Ireland and our athletes. This is an important step in our preparations for Paris 2024 and shows our commitment to supporting Ireland's athletes on their journey to the Olympic Games."

Dr. Úna May CEO of Sport Ireland added “This development is just one part of the ongoing development of the Sport Ireland Campus, which is committed to providing world-class training facilities and support services for athletes across Ireland. I hope its opening will create a template for the athlete village that we aim to create as part of the Sport Ireland Campus Masterplan in the longer term. We are also happy to welcome our friends in the Olympic Federation of Ireland as our neighbours on the Sport Ireland Campus. This is a crucially important relationship for both organisations as we support our high-performance athletes on the road to the Olympic Games in Paris next year.”

Peter Sherrard CEO of the Olympic Federation of Ireland added “We are very happy to move into our new offices on the Sport Ireland Campus and want to thank Sport Ireland and the Institute for their hospitality. This move into purpose-built facilities follows our decision to sell the Olympic House in Howth in 2021. We look forward to being part of the Sport Ireland Campus and the many exciting opportunities it will provide for Irish sport as it continues to evolve.”

Built on a historic structure connected to the original Abbotstown House, the newly opened building is named The Long Barn, which references the building’s heritage. In future, the historic Abbotstown House is to be repurposed and the adjacent areas will be re-imagined as flexible public spaces, creating a new destination space to host a range of events and activities for athletes and the wider community.