Opinions on Venues accross the country

Just for information purposes what are everybodies views on the various county grounds accross the country E.G. best pitch, worst, most modern, facilities , location , parking etc etc

Here is a list

1. Antrim (Casement Pk) - 32,500
2. Armagh (Crossmaglen) - 18,000
3. Cavan (Breffni Pk) - 32,000
4. Cork (Pairc Ui Caoimh) - 43,500
5. Clare (Cusack Pk) - 28,000
6. Carlow (Dr. Cullen) - 21,000
7. Down (Newry) - 20,000
8. Donegal (Ballybofey) - 17,500
9. Dublin (Parnell Pk) - 13,500
10. Derry (Derry) - 22,000
11. Fermanagh (Brewster Pk) - 20,000
12. Galway (Pearse Stadium) - 34,000
13. Kerry ( Fitzgearld Stadium) - 43,000
14. Kildare (Conleths Pk) - 13,500
15. Kilkenny (Nolan Pk) - 24,000
16. Laois (O'Moore Pk) - 27,000
17. Limerick (Gaelic Grounds) - 50,000
18..Longford (Pears Pk) - 11,000
19..Louth (Drogheda Pk) - 12,000
20.Leitrim (Carrick On shannon) - 17,500
21. Monaghan (Clones) - 36,000
22. Meath (Pairc Tailteann) - 25,000
23. Mayo ( Castlebar) - 42,000
24. Offaly (O'Connor Pk) - 20,000
25. Roscommon (Dr. Hyde Pk) - 30,000
26. Sligo ( Markevicz Pk.) - 20,000
27.Tipperary (Semple Stadium) - 55,000
28. Tyrone ( Healy Pk) - 25,000
29. Wexford (Wexford Pk) - 20,000
30. Wicklow (Aughrim) - 10,000
31. Westmeath (Cusack Pk) - 15,000
32. Waterford (Walsh Pk) - 17,000

I've only been in 14 of them for games. Fine achievement if you have managed all 32!!

i've been to 23 of them.

Personally i like Navan and Tullamore.


Finest club pitch i have ever been to is Carrickmore. Fantastic set up, they even have the old nally stand erected behind one of their goals.
GAA museum also at the club grounds.
Fantastic surface on the pitch also.

See in the background behind Peter Canavan the old Nally stand.

Favourites from them are Portlaiose and Navan, Parnell park is decent. Not a massive fan of Nowlan park.

Mullingar is my least favourite. I think its the big Dunnes Stores building behind one of the goals that bugs me.

How did Errigal Chiaran get the Nally stand?

Its was Carrickmore not Errigal, sorry Sam.

As far as i know, a local developer contributed to the erection of it.

When it was taken apart in Croker, it was brought up North and re errected, all at the expense of the developer.
Just goes to show how GAA mad they are in the north.

24 for me, plus a few others around the place like Ardfinnan, Nenagh??, Pairc Ui Rinn, . Never been to Louth, Newry, Waterford, Mayo (strangely enough), Clones, Tyrone, Cavan or Limerick........

I like Thurles, Wexford Park, Navan & Portlaoise.

In Leinster I like Wexford Park (pity it doesn't get more games) and O'Connor Park.

Outside of Leinster Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney is a fabulous venue - fine big ground in spectacular surroundings. Pairc Ui Chaoimh on the other hand is a dump - nobody over 4 foot tall could be expected to sit in the uncovered stand there and the ground is situated out in the middle of a dreary industrial area miles from the city.

Looking at the list I'd say Newbridge is up there with the worst of them unfortunately. Only Drogheda, Ennis and Aughrim are comparable from my experience.

There is something I like about Dr. Cullen park in Carlow. Great views from the stand and it's easy to get in and out of.

Thurles is a brilliant set up

Don't like Portlaoise or Navan. Tullamore is nice though.

Parnell park is not the greatest but who are we to complain when we have the old lady in Newbridge ready to cash her checks in.

Newbridge is a great location, can't think of to many better but my God will someone spend some money on it.

I have 29 done and I wouldn't see any of them as outstanding or special. The stand in Portlaoise is excellent- no such thing as a bad seat and it's sheltered from the prevailing wind. Really enjoyed the trips to Thurles though it needs a crowd to have an atmosphere. One of the smaller ones I liked was Enniskillen-the pitch is down in a bowl- a real amphitheatre feel to it.

Sorry: have to edit. It's 27.

23 for me, never been to Cavan, Cork, Clare, Donegal, Dublin, Louth, Leitrim, Mayo and Waterford.


I like Thurles and Tullamore. Aughrim is about as bad as Newbridge and Crossmaglen is pretty basic too.

21 for me!!!!!

worst aughrim best limerick done 14

28 for me.
I liked the setup in Omagh, that has to be No 1.
Between Newbridge and Aughrim as the worst. It is terrible to have to put your own county in the bottom. As was said already PLEASE somebody spend some money on it.

Portlaoise, Clones and Navan best for me.

Worst experience, a league match against Waterford a few years ago in Dungarvan !!!!

Worst experience. Brought the other half (a Carlow women) to Clare for a league game a few years back. Half way down with got news that the game was moved out of Cusack Park to Milton Malbay. If I was to say that this place was poor for a club game it would not cover it, but to put a County game in it was mad. Picture it, Standing on the side line in February, hail stones the size of golf balls lashing down and only the Atlantic Ocean for shelter.

26 for me. Haven't been in Fitzgerald, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Markevicz, Castlebar, Ballybofey and Carrick on Shannon.

Some of the ones I have been I can barely remember as it's been too long.

Most of them aren't too special tbf. Semple Stadium would have to be up there but that's more like a national stadium rather than a county grounds. Liked Omagh as well.

Edit: I have been in 27 of 34. Gaelic Park in New York being the 27th but not since it was renovated.

24 for me,

Tullamore is excellent now,

I was in about 28 of the grounds over my life. Some of the grounds I was in a long time ago and have most likley changed since.
For me I think Newbridge is good but could be a lot better if the county board spent money on it.
Also I love Semple Stadium, Gaelic Grounds(limerick), Navan, Tullamore, Dr Cullen Park, Wexford park and Portlaoise (in fairness to the Queens they have a good ground).

I used to like the odd Kildare match years ago in Athy, lovley venue.

i think newbridge is terrible!!!!

Well Newbridge has potential! Knock the stand and erect a new one (that has new toilets, and dressing rooms under the stand), knock the old bulding ( that is the dressing rooms now), extend the terrace behind the town end, and on the grassy hill.
Then we would be away in a hack!

Interesting as well that we have the 3rd lowest capacity, slightly ahead of Longford and Louth. Ive been to a paltry 20 so far. Hopefully that will change in the next few years with the qualifier system in place..

First and foremost before even considering to do work to the stand is to improve the dressig rooms,they are tiny beyond a joke, there is only room for the starting 15 in there before matches to have any sort of comfort, hardly preparation for a intercounty / important championship match.

To be honest I think the current stand is grand, why spend a million or two building knocking and building a new one? Sure its hardly ever full anyways.

Getting the basic facilities is the most pressing thing to do.

Newbridge needs proper dressing rooms, toilets, media facilities and a PA system that you can understand.

The rest I'm not bothered about as I like standing at a match and as wingback says it rarely gets filled as most of our big games are held on Neutral soil.

Agree jme. They could totally revamp the interior of the club house in conleths without ever having to knock it. They could gut the interior and build it inside. This wouldn cost too much, also doing something with the toilets and back of the stands would be good.
Take away the wall in front of the pitch and put in something similar to what they have in portlaoise.
If something happens on the sideline, from stands you can't see it sometimes.

I have been in them all except Fitzgerald. Newbridge is by far the worst of them regarding facilities although the pitch and location are excellent. It would be on a par with some but not all of the pitches div 3 hurlers get to play on or at least used to when I was following the hurlers a good while back.