As UCD unveils its new ‘state-of-the-art’ O’Connor Centre for Learning and €87 million sports facilities, News Reporter Ben Sweeney gets student perspectives on the details.
UCD has announced the upcoming openings of new sports facilities as the new O’Connor Centre for Learning nears completion.
The O’Connor Centre is an academic building which will host multi-disciplinary classrooms, common areas, and lecture theatres - hopes to become the “gold standard” for innovative learning in UCD according to UCD Students’ Union President Michael Roche.
The building will open for classes in the Spring semester of 2025/26, although students will be able to access the building from November 2025. The news is being welcomed by students.
Shane Wedlock, a computer science student, is thankful for the progress as it will offer him clarity on lecture locations —“most” of his classes during the Spring semester will be in the O’Connor Centre. His lectures for the Autumn semester are in “every building” – despite UCD having a special Computer Science building, causing feelings of frustration.
The new sports facilities, which reports suggest will open in September 2027, offers opportunities for UCD students, clubs and societies across the university. Costs are estimated up to €87 million, partly funded by the student levy, although Mr. Roche was unable to provide details on the breakdown of costs.
These facilities will include a gym, a performing arts venue, sport-specific amenities, and will host UCD’s end-of-term exams – saving UCD from paying a “significant” amount of rent to the RDS. These developments are clear signs of “student democracy” in action, according to Mr. Roche, but the jury remains out on how the wider student body will react to the news.