Who Has The Worst County Grounds?

Always_Running · 22-11-2012 10:35PM

patmac wrote: »

The worst pitch has to be the Hyde in Roscommon, so bad that most of the top games including the County Final have been moved to Kiltoom.

Must be something with the inter county soil in Connacht because McHale,Pearse stadium isn't much better.

Morte · 22-11-2012 11:09PM

tippman26 wrote: »

pairc ui chaoimh is the worst by a long way.facilities are a disgrace and the big problem is it gets close to 2 sell outs a year.the tunnels underneath the stands are a deathtrap at ht and after matches.toilets are very poor and now they even let the men go outside piss in a fenced off area because of the problem of lads doing it aginst the walls in the tunnels. several times the blackrock terrace has been unable to take the crowd and people were force to sit behind the goal(mainly cork v kerry,cork v tipp,remember eoin kellys goal in 08) i remember goin to the tipp clare matches of the late 90s early 00's down there in the uncovered stand and how someone wasn't killed or seriously injured in the tunnels is a mystery.at least now it isn't as packed but it is still a deathtrap

Also because the toilets and shop are next to the entrance you've a chokepoint in a tiny tunnel where two crowds are trying to push against each other in a confined space.

ProudDUB · 23-11-2012 12:34AM

bruschi wrote: »

that has to be one of the strangest things I have ever read on any forum.

No its not. In countries that are better at planning & designing places where large numbers of people congregate, they are able to understand the concept that sometimes a father may want to bring his young daughter to a game, or a woman her young son. The lone father can not enter the ladies toilets & and his daughter may feel uncomfortable going in by herself. Likewise, a woman can not enter a mens toilet, and her young lad may feel uncomfortable going in by himself.

So the powers that be put in a family bathroom that is unisex and specifically for people with children. It is also monitored by a bathroom attendant so that no one can enter it who shouldn't be. They are very common in US airports, stadiums, train stations etc etc. God forbid we ever do something so that is so forward thinking, or just plain common sense here !

cournioni · 23-11-2012 03:17AM

Aside from Drogheda which is undoubtedly the worst, I've played in Celtic Park, Clones, Pairc Tailteann and Breffni Park and Breffni's pitch is the worst out of that lot. Very soggy when there is any rain at all. Clones was the best pitch but I liked Celtic Park the best because it's a tight little ground is very neatly done up.

ciarriaithuaidh · 23-11-2012 04:18AM

There are a lot of poor county grounds to be fair...Cusack park in Ennis is poor. Both Waterfords grounds are poor enough. Páirc uí Chaíomh, as already stated, is a nightmare to get to and the ground seems to have been designed with midgets in mind. The dressing rooms have to be seen to be believed.

Too many GAA grounds have stands with either poor elevation (Gaelic Grounds in Limerick comes to mind) or too many pillars obstructing views, or both. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that after all the money pumped into the development in Castlebar (which is a decent ground to be fair) that they persisted with a stand with a load of pillars.

In terms of the best grounds, aside from Croker, biased as I am (and I know Killarney is a nightmare for traffic), but Fitzgerald stadium is a great venue and pitch. Semple stadium is a good stadium for the spectator also.
I was impressed with the new Celtic park in Derry when I was there. Pearse Park in Longford is another nice ground. None more scenic than this anyway surely...

slievenamon fella · 23-11-2012 04:30AM

yes i have to agree kilarney is one of the finest stadiums in ireland and on munster final day is magnificent! dressing rooms are also first class.

Utopia Parkway · 23-11-2012 04:33AM

Cusack Park in Ennis is pretty awful. It was crumbling apart over 10 years ago.

Utopia Parkway · 23-11-2012 04:39AM

maroondog wrote: »

Stewart's built Pearse Stadium I think you'll find. One of the Connollys was heavily involved raising money for the stadium alright. How do ya make out money was wasted?

Back before Pearse Stadium was redeveloped from its then very poor state, Galway didn't have a decent ground for holding big matches. Tuam stadium was falling apart 10 years ago when games were switched, I can't imagine it's improved.

Salthill is a problem on windy days for playing matches, cant really do much about that thou. A lot of people from north Galway don't like cos it involves travelling further and complaint about lack of parking.

Pearse Stadium is easily one of the better grounds in the country once you're inside it. Unfortunately it's located right in the middle of a very built up area with feck all parking.

fasttalkerchat · 23-11-2012 04:40AM

Tom Joad wrote: »

Have to agree re Hyde Park - really dislike going to matches there. Also Casement park in Belfast - hate going to matches there - oh and Pairc Tailtean in Navan is pretty grim..

Best for me are Enniskillen, Longford and Clones...

Casement is a decent ground!

slievenamon fella · 23-11-2012 04:41AM

sadly how ever i cant see too many county boards fixin the problems that they have with thier stadiums anytime soon...they seem to be more interested in paying managers...

buck65 · 23-11-2012 09:20AM

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Cusack Park in Ennis is pretty awful. It was crumbling apart over 10 years ago.

Talk of a redevelopment, with some units or apartments on stream again.
Clarecastle/SMB gets most of the games now.

Tom Joad · 23-11-2012 10:10AM

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Casement is a decent ground!

Depends on what the criteria being used - I hate going to a match there as it's awful to get to, parking is crap, I've never been to a match that could actually start on time due to people not being able to get in on time... Once you get inside it's a fine ground - never played on the pitch so can't comment on that..

I'll probably always hate Casement because I'm usually stressed to the gills by the time I get inside

Hammer Archer · 23-11-2012 12:58PM

Another honourable mention is Scotstown which is/was used by Monaghan for their league games. The ground itself isn't too bad, but it's located on what is basically a country lane. Had to abandon the car miles from the ground a few years back as traffic wasn't moving. Turned out a HGV was trying to come the opposite way and got stuck.

bruschi · 23-11-2012 02:09PM

ProudDUB wrote: »

No its not. In countries that are better at planning & designing places where large numbers of people congregate, they are able to understand the concept that sometimes a father may want to bring his young daughter to a game, or a woman her young son. The lone father can not enter the ladies toilets & and his daughter may feel uncomfortable going in by herself. Likewise, a woman can not enter a mens toilet, and her young lad may feel uncomfortable going in by himself.

So the powers that be put in a family bathroom that is unisex and specifically for people with children. It is also monitored by a bathroom attendant so that no one can enter it who shouldn't be. They are very common in US airports, stadiums, train stations etc etc. God forbid we ever do something so that is so forward thinking, or just plain common sense here !

right fair enough, but you expained it that way. what the poster said was there should be toilets where an adult can only enter if accompanied by a child. The way you explain it makes sense, they way the other poster said made it look, well...

Family toilets yes, sound like a good idea. toilets that an adult can go to accompanied by a child sounds very different, even if thats not what the poster meant.

fasttalkerchat · 23-11-2012 03:57PM

Tom Joad wrote: »

Depends on what the criteria being used - I hate going to a match there as it's awful to get to, parking is crap, I've never been to a match that could actually start on time due to people not being able to get in on time... Once you get inside it's a fine ground - never played on the pitch so can't comment on that..

I'll probably always hate Casement because I'm usually stressed to the gills by the time I get inside

It was great craic when Armagh played there and people parked on roundabouts... the PSNI tried to move people on to the response of "that's not how GAA matches work" eventually they gave up trying to control traffic and stood back.

nice_guy80 · 23-11-2012 05:01PM

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

It was great craic when Armagh played there and people parked on roundabouts... the PSNI tried to move people on to the response of "that's not how GAA matches work" eventually they gave up trying to control traffic and stood back.

I heard the pitch in McHale park is barely playable this weekend

Carawaystick · 23-11-2012 05:31PM

Aughrim is shocking, the covered stand is about 40' in the middle of the pitch and they charge the same price for the road side whether you get under the roof or not. On the river side of the pitch the fall of the tiers is wrong and water collects at the back of the tier, where the row behind is stepping up, rather than forward to drain away. The benches are soft rotting wood that absorbs the ample rain falling in the wickla mountains and releases it back up into the seat of anyone's trousers who sits there for the next few weeks of dry weather.

https://maps.google.ie/?ll=52.853396,-6.334932&spn=0.002621,0.006008&t=h&z=18

Also Aughrim is probably the only county ground with no name, it's just Aughrim. Not that that's a bad thing, i kinda like that.

Colm R · 23-11-2012 05:53PM

bruschi wrote: »

right fair enough, but you expained it that way. what the poster said was there should be toilets where an adult can only enter if accompanied by a child. The way you explain it makes sense, they way the other poster said made it look, well...

Family toilets yes, sound like a good idea. toilets that an adult can go to accompanied by a child sounds very different, even if thats not what the poster meant.

Sorry, I will try and explain my posts better in future, and not come across all creepy!!

Ash.J.Williams · 23-11-2012 05:55PM

Carawaystick wrote: »

Aughrim is shocking, the covered stand is about 40' in the middle of the pitch and they charge the same price for the road side whether you get under the roof or not. On the river side of the pitch the fall of the tiers is wrong and water collects at the back of the tier, where the row behind is stepping up, rather than forward to drain away. The benches are soft rotting wood that absorbs the ample rain falling in the wickla mountains and releases it back up into the seat of anyone's trousers who sits there for the next few weeks of dry weather.

https://maps.google.ie/?ll=52.853396,-6.334932&spn=0.002621,0.006008&t=h&z=18

Also Aughrim is probably the only county ground with no name, it's just Aughrim. Not that that's a bad thing, i kinda like that.

that cold cold feeling of water transferring from the seat to your leg!!!!

Squidgy Black · 23-11-2012 07:47PM

The actual pitch in Parnell Park tends to be in tatters most days, definitely isn't up to intercounty standards.

n32 · 23-11-2012 09:56PM

Pairc ui Chaoimh has dressing rooms that the worst clubs in ireland would be ashamed of. When we play county championship games there its actually preferable to tog off in the cabins out the back. The dressing rooms are more suited to a 5 a side team. Fellas have to tog off in the showers and next to the toilets. Its a shocking way to prepare for a game. The only redeeming factor is that the pitch is quality.

Chavways · 23-11-2012 09:59PM

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

If you are talking about Ennis then I am in total agreement with you.

Yeah I am. The place is like a dilapidated shed.

Tom Joad · 23-11-2012 10:32PM

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

It was great craic when Armagh played there and people parked on roundabouts... the PSNI tried to move people on to the response of "that's not how GAA matches work" eventually they gave up trying to control traffic and stood back.

I made the mistake of asking a friendly RUC man (Pre PSNI days) where I could park - was running late and sitting in a traffic jam - his response was that I could stick my car where ever the fúck I wanted :eek:

Clareman · 23-11-2012 10:53PM

Cusack Park in Ennis really is terrible, it has a river on 1 side of it and only 4 bathrooms for the whole place, no shops or anything around the place, no parking, terrible approaches, 90% of the entrance gates in the same place, a stand that only goes from 21 to 21, awful dressing rooms, now the pitch is even terrible in there, the only thing going for it is that its in the centre of town so if there's a match on there's a great atmosphere around. They got massive money for selling half the ground to Aldi in the boom, ended up pumping it into Clare Abbey

DazMarz · 24-11-2012 12:12AM

Stevecw wrote: »

Wicklow for me. Aughrims stand is definitely the worst for a county grounds in the country.

This.

Definitely one of the worst ones going. An absolute kip.

No facilities worth talking about, in the middle of bleedin nowhere and on a rainy day the 'carpark' turns into a scene that wouldn't be out of place in Ypres circa 1915.

And it's not that Wicklow County Board are short of money; a few quid to just make the place half decent would be nice, ffs.

24-11-2012 12:50AM

Clareman wrote: »

Cusack Park in Ennis really is terrible, it has a river on 1 side of it and only 4 bathrooms for the whole place, no shops or anything around the place, no parking, terrible approaches, 90% of the entrance gates in the same place, a stand that only goes from 21 to 21, awful dressing rooms, now the pitch is even terrible in there, the only thing going for it is that its in the centre of town so if there's a match on there's a great atmosphere around. They got massive money for selling half the ground to Aldi in the boom, ended up pumping it into Clare Abbey

I always reckon that if you happened to rub off the rusty old fencing then it's straight to the hospital for a shot, or slow death from blood poisoning.

Still it is the only place where I have seen Mayo win an all Ireland in the flesh