Permission granted for four new changing rooms for Connacht GAA Air Dome

PLANNING permission has been granted for four new changing rooms adjacent to the Air Dome at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence in Bekan.

Connacht GAA applied for planning permission to install four new changing rooms along with a quiet room and associated plant room adjacent to the existing University of Galway Air Dome in Bekan outside Ballyhaunis.

In the planning application submitted to Mayo County Council, the applicant stated that the proposed development is required to 'alleviate the existing pressures on the existing facilities' and will provide an ease of access from the existing Air Dome.

“As it currently stands, users of the dome have to use the changing rooms in the pavilion building which is quite a distance from the dome. The proposed changing rooms are positions adjacent to the dome so as to service the users of the dome,” stated the report prepared by Tobin Consulting Engineers on behalf of Connacht GAA.

The Air Dome which is the world's largest air dome for the purpose of sport use was developed in 2020 and consists of a full-sized GAA field. Since its development it has hosted a number of inter-county Connacht FBD football league games in the winter and has a capacity for 2,000 spectators for games.

The proposed new changing rooms is the latest development to receive planning permission at the Centre of Excellence site in recent months. In May, planning permission was granted to install three 20kW 18 metre high wind turbines within the grounds while in June, permission was granted for the installation of six new floodlight columns at an existing pitch.

There were no objections to the development of the changing rooms and Mayo County Council granted planning permission on August 23 subject to two conditions.