The National Handball Centre ( ga, Ionad Náisiúnta Liathróid Láimhe) is an indoor

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

facility located on the

Croke Park Croke Park ( ga, Páirc an Chrócaigh, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and he ...

campus in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, Ireland. It is due to serve as both the national venue for All-Ireland

Gaelic handball Gaelic handball (known in Ireland simply as handball; ga, liathróid láimhe) is a sport where players hit a ball with a hand or fist against a wall in such a way as to make a shot the opposition cannot return, and that may be played with two ( ...

finals once it opens and as the headquarters of

GAA Handball GAA Handball Ireland (Irish: ''Liathróid Láimhe C.L.G. na hÉireann'') is the governing body for the sport of Gaelic handball in all of its codes in Ireland. Handball is one of the four Gaelic games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Associati ...

, the sport's national governing body. The new centre replaces the old Croke Park Handball Centre that was built in 1970.

History

GAA Handball were granted planning approval in late 2017 to build a National Handball Centre at

. The new National Handball Centre, located at the southeast corner of the stadium on Sackville Avenue, was close to completion as of January 2021, with the final minor stages of building delayed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. As of May 2020, the centre was being used for

COVID-19 testing COVID-19 testing involves analyzing samples to assess the current or past presence of SARS-CoV-2. The two main types of tests detect either the presence of the virus or antibodies produced in response to infection. Molecular tests for viral ...

by Ireland's national health service, the

Health Service Executive The Health Service Executive (HSE) ( ga, Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte) is the publicly funded healthcare system in Ireland, responsible for the provision of health and personal social services. It came into operation on 1 January 2005 ...

. While the centre's official opening was delayed due to both the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the final completion of remaining building works, the centre had a 'soft' opening in December 2021, allowing registered players to book the courts through Croke Park. The first competitive

One-wall handball One-wall handball, also known as 1-wall, wallball or international fronton is an indirect style of a ball game where the player hits a small rubber ball with their hand against a wall. The goal of the game is to score more points than the opponen ...

match took place in the centre in December 2022 during the

European 1-Wall Tour The European 1-Wall Tour, also known as the European Wallball Tour or the 'Euro 1 Wall' Tour is a One-Wall handball/Wallball tour that takes place at various stops across Europe including the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Spain and I ...

"EliteStop" held in the Centre on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December 2022. The first competitive Four-wall handball matches to be played in the new centre are due to take place on Sunday, 2 April 2023 with the

O%27Neills O'Neills Irish International Sports Company Ltd. is an Irish sporting goods manufacturer established in 1918. It is the largest manufacturer of sportswear in Ireland, with production plants located in Dublin and Strabane. O'Neills has a long re ...

-sponsored All-Ireland 4-Wall Senior Doubles semi-finals taking place in both Men's and Ladies codes.

Facilities

The new centre is planned to contain three 4-Wall

courts - including a three-sided glass wall show court with amphitheatre style seating for a capacity of 500 spectators, a Softball show court with seating capacity for 200 spectators and three 1-Wall courts. The centre includes offices for GAA Handball staff, a bar and cafe as well as a community centre.

Ownership and operation

The National Handball Centre building and the site it occupies are owned by Páirc an Chrócaigh Teoranta, the firm that oversees the running of

. The centre is expected to be managed and operated by a joint venture company under a long-term lease. This company comprises a partnership between the GAA and the 'Irish Handball Sports Centre', a local community group. According to the GAA, "its primary purpose is the promotion of handball" and "it can never be repurposed" or "changed in any way or indeed sold without GAA consent".

References

{{Gaelic Athletic Association Croke Park Gaelic games grounds in the Republic of Ireland Sports venues in Dublin (city) Sports venues completed in 2021 2021 establishments in Ireland 21st-century architecture in the Republic of Ireland