Athletic Grounds Armagh

ouryear

Hi Folks

Wondering if anyone in the know could point me in the right direction.

Im looking for info about the use of the Athletic Grounds in Armagh.


1: When did they stop using it and for how long, while they used Crossmaglen.
and was it just not in use because it was being refurbished ?


2: Why choose Crossmaglen, and was it used as the main county ground (club and intercounty), or just for football matches?


Thanks in advance

J Cheever Loophole

ouryear wrote: »

Hi Folks

Wondering if anyone in the know could point me in the right direction.

Im looking for info about the use of the Athletic Grounds in Armagh.


1: When did they stop using it and for how long, while they used Crossmaglen.
and was it just not in use because it was being refurbished ?


2: Why choose Crossmaglen, and was it used as the main county ground (club and intercounty), or just for football matches?


Thanks in advance

Hi ouryear - the rennovation of the Athletic Grounds was a project that took some considerable time, and led to a Dublin friend of mine comparing it to the building of the Panama Canal! :pac:

The need to rebuild was very obvious and it was to be carried out in three stages - the Drumarg / seats side first, then both ends, before the Ceannarus (dressing room) side completed it.

From memory only, and my dates will not be exact, work started around 2001 and had progressed somewhat on the Drumarg side only. My best guess is that County games moved out of the Athletic Grounds in 2001, although football was still played there up to 2002 - I recall our Minors winning the County Title there one week after we won the All Ireland - that would make it 29 September 2002.

By this stage however, work had totally slowed up, and the problem was due to influences beyond anyone's control. The Athletic Grounds project was heavily dependent on UK lottery funding, but a major controversy erupted when it was discovered that certain sporting clubs were diverting similar funding to paying players. As a consequence of this, the MP in charge of this (it might have been Angela Smyth, and bear in mind this was before the Stormont Assembley was up and running) ordered that all similar lottery funding be immediately stopped, pending an investigation, and thus the Athletic Grounds project was stopped in its tracks for years, with phase one only half completed and leaving the ground without any seating or cover.

Again at a guess, it was sometime around 2005/06 when funding could be released and work restarted and as a consequence it was around late 2008 before Armagh were back in the Athletic Grounds. By this stage phases one and two had been completed - a covered terrace on the Drumarg side and two terraces, one at each end of the ground. However the last, biggest and most expensive phase - the building of a new stand on the Ceannarus side - still had to take place. Consequently, approximately 2,000 plastic / bucket seats were put in on that side, but were open to the elements. Again from hazy memory only, because it was late 2008, it might have been early 2009 before Armagh themselves were back.

Funding for the stand eventually came through, and as a consequence the ground was again closed in 2010 before opening for business again at the start of 2011 when it was finally complete.

If you need more specific details around dates, I'm sure I can get them - I used to get a lot of photos from back then to show the redevelopment to Armagh supporters on the Armagh GAA website. A couple of my photos, along with details of the ground can be found here.

As for the second part of your question, Crossmaglen (Oliver Plunkett Park) has always been one of our three dedicated County Grounds, along with Davitt Park in Lurgan and the Athletic Grounds. Over the years (1970s/1980s/1990s) it was rarely used, with the other two getting the bulk of games - however with Crossmaglen's success, they redeveloped the ground and it soon became the obvious choice to take over from the Athletic Grounds, at the expense of Davitt Park, which has had little or no investment until relatively recently.

Crossmaglen was mainly used for football matches - hurling, which does not have the same following in Armagh, would have played some matches in Cross, but mainly played fixtures in the hurling stronghold of Keady.

Hope this helps!

ardmacha

Over the years (1970s/1980s/1990s) it was rarely used, with the other two getting the bulk of games - however with Crossmaglen's success, they redeveloped the ground and it soon became the obvious choice to take over from the Athletic Grounds, at the expense of Davitt Park, which has had little or no investment until relatively recently.

There was a great deal of harassment from British sources at the Crossmaglen ground in the 70s and 80s, which didn't help its use as a county ground. This eventually lead to a large compo payment which allowed the ground be redeveloped.

The Athletic Grounds took a long time, but it is a good job in the end. Team building hasn't quite finished :rolleyes:

J Cheever Loophole

ardmacha wrote: »

There was a great deal of harassment from British sources at the Crossmaglen ground in the 70s and 80s, which didn't help its use as a county ground.

You're right - I should have mentioned that! When I posted, I was recalling how the ground looked back then, with small grass banks on either side. The fact that there was one of the busiest heliports in Europe behind the endline would also have been a factor!!

I still recall my own playing days in the eighties and early nineties, as a goalkeeper at that end, trying to concentrate on a Rangers attack as a Puma came down the pitch with a pallet of cement bags swinging in a sling underneath it. :eek:

ardmacha wrote: »

The Athletic Grounds took a long time, but it is a good job in the end. Team building hasn't quite finished :rolleyes:

100% correct!!

ardmacha

While Crossmaglen came into its own in 2000-2010 decade, Armagh also played a bit at other south Armagh venues, notably Carrickcruppen.

J Cheever Loophole

ardmacha wrote: »

While Crossmaglen came into its own in 2000-2010 decade, Armagh also played a bit at other south Armagh venues, notably Carrickcruppen.

Indeed - I recall a National League match against Meath in Killeavey - I would guess 1987.