THE National Horse Sport Arena at the Sport Ireland Campus in Abbotstown, Dublin, will be repurposed as a vegetable garden and no longer used for equestrian sport, The Irish Field has learned.

As part of the ‘Sport Ireland Campus Masterplan’, which outlines a vision and framework for the campus over the next 15-20 years, the walled garden area of the campus, which is home to the National Horse Sport Arena, is to be returned to its original purpose as a formal kitchen garden “to encourage healthy eating and promote the benefits of nutrition through education. A proposed new cookery school will provide courses for athletes and the general public with a focus on healthy eating and nutritional diets,” the document reads.

In a query to Sport Ireland, The Irish Field asked what impact the repurposing would have on the equestrian facilities. A spokesperson said: “As part of the Sport Ireland Campus Masterplan the area around the historic Abbotstown House is to be repurposed as a centrepiece in the campus landscape. The main house, the adjacent courtyards and the walled garden 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. This will require a change of use of this area, including the National Horse Sport Arena.

“The Horse Sport Arena has been open for 10 years and has proven very popular. However, the development of the area will aim to substantially increase footfall to this part of the campus and it will make it no longer suitable for the movement of heavy traffic and animals.

“Sport Ireland will work with stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition away from the Horse Sport Arena. There will be no disruption in the immediate short term.”

The Irish Field also asked if there would be any equestrian facilities at the Abbotstown campus following the removal of the current arena in the coming years but no response was given immediately. The National Sport Horse Arena was officially opened on October 9th 2013.

The Sport Ireland Campus Masterplan will be realised through a capital development programme over the next 15–20 years. It is envisaged that individual building and infrastructure projects will be delivered in a series of phases over the life cycle of the masterplan. The detailed phasing and programming of the delivery will be determined by the needs of the athletes and the growth of sport in Ireland.

The plan will involve the construction of athlete accommodation, workplaces, cultural buildings, and major new sports facilities.