The Football Association of Ireland’s new headquarters at the National Sports Campus were officially opened this afternoon by UEFA president Michel Platini and Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism Seamus Brennan.
The FAI is the first national governing body to move onto the 350 acre site at Abbotstown and the 3,000 square metre building will house the association’s 167 staff in addition to organisations such as the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland, the Irish Soccer Referees’ Society, the Leinster Football Association, the Schoolboys Football Association of Ireland and the Dublin & District Schoolboys League.
FAI president David Blood said that the move to Abbotstown would be a great boost to the organisation.
‘For over 50 years, our previous home at 80 Merrion Square served us well, but such has been the growth of our organisation over the past three years that we quickly outgrew the building,’ Blood admitted.
‘Now we have a facility that is able to house our 167 staff as well as several of our affiliates and having everybody under the one roof is going to have a positive impact on our association.’
The opening of the new headquarters completes the first phase of the FAI’s National Sports Campus project and chief executive John Delaney said the focus will now shift to quickly completing the second phase.
‘Phase two of our Abbotstown project is the creation of a national academy complete with seven top class training pitches,’ said Delaney.
