GAA Infastructure

Consey

Billy Ocean wrote: »

Think that's the case alright, thurles is the only 40k plus capacity venue not in a city. Pretty sure clones, castlebar and killarney all had capacities above 35k at 1 point before health and safety became more stringent.

Clones was 36,000 a few years ago is right. The town terrace (good view of the pitch, but old) has had its capacity reduced significantly in recent years.

I must be thinking of a different town then, In wasn’t overly sure of the size I was thinking but it was definitely somewhere smaller than Clones. Bundoran maybe.

Billy Ocean

Consey wrote: »

Clones was 36,000 a few years ago is right. The town terrace (good view of the pitch, but old) has had its capacity reduced significantly in recent years.

its down to 29k according to the article, castlebar had 25 or 26k at Mayo Donegal in 2019 while 31 or 32k were at Kerry Mayo in Killarney in the same few weeks, think both games were pretty much sold out.

breezy1985

Consey wrote: »

Clones was 36,000 a few years ago is right. The town terrace (good view of the pitch, but old) has had its capacity reduced significantly in recent years.

Is it true that O'Duffy has a terrace named after him in Clones ?

Consey

breezy1985 wrote: »

Is it true that O'Duffy has a terrace named after him in Clones ?

Town terrace is the O'Duffy Terrace

gormdubhgorm

Billy Ocean wrote: »

How they ranked in full

1. Kilkenny
2. Thurles
3. Clones
4. Killarney
5. Pairc Ui Chaoimh
6. Tullamore
7. Armagh
8. Portlaoise
9. Newry
10. Castlebar
11. Cavan
12. Derry
13. Wexford
14. Omagh
15. Enniskillen
16. Carrick On Shannon
17. Ballybofey
18. Limerick
19. Sligo
20. Roscommon
21. Parnell Park
22. Carlow
23. Navan
24. Ennis
25. Salthill
26. Mullingar
27. Aughrim
28. Longford
29. Newbridge
30. Waterford
31. Corrigan Park Belfast
32. Drogheda

Nowlan Park deserves a high billing nice enough ground.

But how in the name of jayus is Thurles rated that highly? 'Tradition' is it? Or is it because it is near the train station? Tullamore should be higher for sure.

And OK I might be biased on this one. But no way should Parnell Park be rated at just 21. Great ground tight pitch. Brilliant atmosphere under floodlights about 10,000 ish capacity. Pitch is great as well.
I can see why parking would be an issue though.

I remember the first and only time I was in Newbridge. I think it was an u21 around 2006 ish. Rustic is how I would describe it.

Consey

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

I must be thinking of a different town then, In wasn’t overly sure of the size I was thinking but it was definitely somewhere smaller than Clones. Bundoran maybe.

Maybe Ballyshannon, in the south of the county. They usually have a home league game there each year.

threeball

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Nowlan Park deserves a high billing nice enough ground.

But how in the name of jayus is Thurles rated that highly? 'Tradition' is it? Or is it because it is near the train station? Tullamore should be higher for sure.

And OK I might be biased on this one. But no way should Parnell Park be rated at just 21. Great ground tight pitch. Brilliant atmosphere under floodlights about 10,000 ish capacity. Pitch is great as well.
I can see why parking would be an issue though.

I remember the first and only time I was in Newbridge. I think it was an u21 around 2006 ish. Rustic is how I would describe it.

What were the criteria used. I agree Thurles is way too high up. Too many obstructed views. Cant see how PUC isn't ranked above it now. If you spend 110million and can't even break top 3 theres something very wrong.
Clones is the most overrated stadium on the planet.
Pearse is a nice stadium let down by location and the pitch. Anywhere else in the county and that gets into top 5.
Parnell is a lovely little park when the weather is good. Just short a second stand to mirror the first and some pitch drainage. The wall is dangerous too.

Edgware

I wont dispute the ratings but I always get a laugh in Castlebar when the public address announcer requests "patrons" to "move towards the bacon factory end"

gormdubhgorm

Edgware wrote: »

I wont dispute the ratings but I always get a laugh in Castlebar when the public address announcer requests "patrons" to "move towards the bacon factory end"

Castlebar is a work in progress. But those stone benches they have on one side would burn the ass off ya in summer. And do the opposite in winter.

breezy1985

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Castlebar is a work in progress. But those stone benches they have on one side would burn the ass off ya in summer. And do the opposite in winter.

Everyone just stood in that section on my one trip to Castlebar

BonnieSituation

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Where have they said there will be a park and ride service? If they have one it’ll be a first, plus most shopping centres (which are normally the only car parks in big towns) won’t be allowing this. A lot put a stop to it for various days out long ago.

"They" have said nothing at all, but P+R as a concept is now so well trodden in transport planning that car parking for lads coming to the city once a year won't even be considered at all. Such a waste of land.

There's plenty of places outside any town in Ireland where a matchday P+R can be set up.

Sure, even informal ones have been set up in fields in Clones!

The lack of sunday Transportation needs to be tackled as well. There's too many people that require transport to games on match days during the summer that its beyond criminal that match specials or even xtended services on those Sundays aren't set up.

Anyway, we're off the point.

Things are so bad now with the football withdrawals that I'd sit in the Gaelic Grounds and watch Cumann na mBunscoile.

StupidLikeAFox

Newbridge redevelopment is finally gone out to tender - long overdue

https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicTenders/ViewNotice/242529

beggars_bush

Never liked Tullamore, just isn't a great atmosphere and the open end of the ground lets it down

For location in a town you cannot beat Cusack Park in Mullingar. Few drinks and stroll into the game.

Should Parnell be on it considering Dublin don't use it?

beggars_bush

beggars_bush wrote: »

Never liked Tullamore, just isn't a great atmosphere and the open end of the ground lets it down

For location in a town you cannot beat Cusack Park in Mullingar. Few drinks and stroll into the game.

Should Parnell be on it considering Dublin don't use it?

It’s county grounds only and I think it officially still is (in name anyway). The hurlers use it and all the main club championship games are there.

yabadabado

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Castlebar is a work in progress. But those stone benches they have on one side would burn the ass off ya in summer. And do the opposite in winter.

They messed up big time in Castlebar when they built the stand.Should have been cantileverd , madness what they did .

thomas385

yabadabado wrote: »

They messed up big time in Castlebar when they built the stand.Should have been cantileverd , madness what they did .

Should have been cantilevered, and they should have also had the foresight to make the pitch as big as it can be. I think I'm correct in saying that McHale Park is one of (if not the) smallest county pitch in the country

breezy1985

yabadabado wrote: »

They messed up big time in Castlebar when they built the stand.Should have been cantileverd , madness what they did .

Was the old main stand cordoned off by a chickenwire fence going from roof to floor or am I dreaming that

FrancieBrady

Feasibility study to develop the facilities in Clones.
Good to see the GAA starting to look at decent design instead of the bunker and do rightly mentality that has dogged it for years.







https://www.facebook.com/CraftstudioArchitecture/photos/pcb.4104601396218262/4104599899551745/

WesternZulu

Not good when they are using the old GAA logo that stopped being used about 12 years ago.

FrancieBrady

WesternZulu wrote: »

Not good when they are using the old GAA logo that stopped being used about 12 years ago.

Architects might not be as invested in the GAA as they should?

Strumms

Nice to see the GAA counties investing in both design AND functionality as opposed to an idea of the just identikit sheds and space eyesores that popped up over the last 30 odd years.... great looking stadium. The walkthrough vid is more impressive than the photos.

https://fb.watch/4ZseTWLWrj/

Edgware

beggars_bush wrote: »

Never liked Tullamore, just isn't a great atmosphere and the open end of the ground lets it down

For location in a town you cannot beat Cusack Park in Mullingar. Few drinks and stroll into the game.

Should Parnell be on it considering Dublin don't use it?

I have seen Dublin playing in Parnell several times, the hurlers not the football/basketball team

Pete_Cavan

Strumms wrote: »

Nice to see the GAA counties investing in both design AND functionality as opposed to an idea of the just identikit sheds and space eyesores that popped up over the last 30 odd years.... great looking stadium. The walkthrough vid is more impressive than the photos.

https://fb.watch/4ZseTWLWrj/

Looks impressive and would be great addition to the stadium but I think a new main stand should be the priority at STP, the existing stand is decrepit.

gormdubhgorm

What is the new PUC like anyway I was never in it. It looks very impressive structure wise. But what is the atmosphere like in it? Does it take time for an atmosphere to 'bed in' ?

FrancieBrady

Pete_Cavan wrote: »

Looks impressive and would be great addition to the stadium but I think a new main stand should be the priority at STP, the existing stand is decrepit.

Due an upgrade too I believe.

gormdubhgorm

Edgware wrote: »

I have seen Dublin playing in Parnell several times, the hurlers not the football/basketball team

Oh that's a low blow
Parnell is still my fav stadium by far. Croke Park is great structurally but not so hot when not full. Bit souless.

Nowlan park is probably my choice after that it is the right size, looks decent.
Ballybofey/Killarney has great scenery

As an other poster alluded to I think a lot of GAA grounds go for a 'generic' look.
It would be nice if county boards think up a little twist here or there to make it unique to that county. Plenty of creative people out there.

gormdubhgorm

I was thinking would it kill GAA stadiums to put in reasonably comfortable seats? Instead of those auld bench yokes? That would be a start.

breezy1985

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

I was thinking would it kill GAA stadiums to put in reasonably comfortable seats? Instead of those auld bench yokes? That would be a start.

A lot of the old stands can't fit the new seats. PuC tried a few years before the refurb and they had to cut the backs off em in the end

Coillte_Bhoy

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Castlebar is a work in progress. But those stone benches they have on one side would burn the ass off ya in summer. And do the opposite in winter.

Work in progress? Apart from extending the pitch which they are doing this year i cant see anymore development taking place with the debt hanging over it