Breffni Park
Encyclopedia
Breffni Park—known for sponsorship reasons as the Kingspan Breffni Park— is a Gaelic Athletic Association
stadium in Cavan
, Ireland
. It is the home of the Cavan
Gaelic football
team. The ground has an overall capacity of about 32,000 with a 6,000 seated capacity. Breffni is the historic name for area of Cavan/Leitrim
. Cavan is often referred to as the Breffni County.
Breffni Park is one of the few stadiums in the country with floodlights. It is located on Park Lane to the south of Cavan town, see Map In 2006, the first ever women's match in international rules football
was played between Australia and Ireland
at Breffni Park. The venue also holds the world record for the twelve-hour continuous relay race.
who gave a speech calling on the GAA to "bring together all sections of the Irish people" to "save the youth of Ireland from the sea of moral degradation into which they were travelling".
at underage levels was held at Breffni Park on 7 June 2009.
. In the Ulster Senior Football Championship 2009
, it hosted Cavan
's unexpected 0-13 to 1-09 quarter-final defeat of Fermanagh
. Critics had beforehand doubted Cavan's ability to win the match. The Belfast Telegraph
described it as Cavan's "most inept championship performance for some time", saying Fermanagh were "gunned down".
Breffni Park has also hosted several matches at national level.
.
The stadium hosted one game involving Cavan
when they progressed to round four of the qualifiers for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2005
. The team entered the qualifiers in the second round where they beat Donegal
by a score of 1-11 to 1-10 at the ground. Breffni Park also hosted the third round qualifying game between Monaghan
and Louth
which Monaghan won by 1-12 to 0-14.
The round three qualifier for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2007
between Derry
and Laois
was played at Breffni Park. Derry won by 1-18 to 2-11 to go through to the quarter finals.
In 2011 Football Championship it will host the round 1 qualifier between Louth and Meath on Saturday, 25 Junne 2011@ 7pm, at 5pm Cavan play Longford.
and Armagh
which Cavan won convincingly by a scoreline of 3-12 to 0-8. Armagh were winners of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2002
and runners-up in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2003
.
Breffni Park was chosen to host the 2006 Division Two Final of the Allianz National League between Donegal
and Louth
. There was controversy when Donegal's manager Brian McIver was upset as he thought the game should have been played at Croke Park
in Dublin. McIver said: "It defies logic and I think the sponsors might have something to say about it as well. It's very strange that the finals can suddenly be moved from Croke Park. [...] The National League is the second biggest competition in the GAA and the finals should be staged at Croke Park". The GAA claimed it was due to "the geographic considerations in respect of the four Division One semi-finalists". Donegal's semi-final defeat of Westmeath
had also taken place at Breffni Park.
versus Kildare
and the Division Four Final between Monaghan
versus Sligo
.
was played between Australia and Ireland
at Breffni Park. Ireland's convincingly beat Australia's women by 130-15.
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
stadium in Cavan
Cavan
Cavan is the county town of County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The town lies in the north central part of Ireland, near the border with Northern Ireland...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It is the home of the Cavan
Cavan GAA
The Cavan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Cavan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Cavan...
Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
team. The ground has an overall capacity of about 32,000 with a 6,000 seated capacity. Breffni is the historic name for area of Cavan/Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Cavan is often referred to as the Breffni County.
Breffni Park is one of the few stadiums in the country with floodlights. It is located on Park Lane to the south of Cavan town, see Map In 2006, the first ever women's match in international rules football
International rules football
International rules football is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between Australian rules football players and Gaelic football players....
was played between Australia and Ireland
Ireland international rules football team
The Ireland International rules football team is the representative team for Ireland in international rules football, a compromise between Gaelic football and Australian rules football...
at Breffni Park. The venue also holds the world record for the twelve-hour continuous relay race.
History
Breffni Park was opened in 1923. The opening was attended by Eoin O'DuffyEoin O'Duffy
Eoin O'Duffy was in succession a Teachta Dála , the Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army , the second Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, leader of the Army Comrades Association and then the first leader of Fine Gael , before leading the Irish Brigade to fight for Francisco Franco during...
who gave a speech calling on the GAA to "bring together all sections of the Irish people" to "save the youth of Ireland from the sea of moral degradation into which they were travelling".
Athletics
In June 2009, the world record for the twelve-hour continuous relay race was broken by 1,868 participants.Camogie
The 2009 Cavan Camogie Development Fun Day to promote the development of camogieCamogie
Camogie is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women; it is almost identical to the game of hurling played by men. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and world wide, largely among Irish communities....
at underage levels was held at Breffni Park on 7 June 2009.
Gaelic football
Breffni Park regularly hosts matches in the Ulster Senior Football ChampionshipUlster Senior Football Championship
For information on this years competition, see Ulster Senior Football Championship 2011-2010 Draw:-2009 Draw:-2008 Draw:-Top winners:* All-Ireland winning years in bold.-Roll of honour:Notes:* 1907 No final result in records...
. In the Ulster Senior Football Championship 2009
Ulster Senior Football Championship 2009
The Ulster Senior Football Championship 2009 will be the 2009 installment of the annual Ulster Senior Football Championship run by the Ulster GAA. The winners will receive the Anglo-Celt Cup. The winners will automatically advance to the quarter-final stage of the 2009 All-Ireland Championship...
, it hosted Cavan
Cavan GAA
The Cavan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Cavan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Cavan...
's unexpected 0-13 to 1-09 quarter-final defeat of Fermanagh
Fermanagh GAA
The Fermanagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Fermanagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. The county board is also responsible for the Fermanagh inter-county teams-History:...
. Critics had beforehand doubted Cavan's ability to win the match. The Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph is a daily evening newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Independent News & Media.It was first published as the Belfast Evening Telegraph on 1 September 1870 by brothers William and George Baird...
described it as Cavan's "most inept championship performance for some time", saying Fermanagh were "gunned down".
Breffni Park has also hosted several matches at national level.
All-Ireland qualifying matches
Breffni Park has hosted a number of qualifiers for the All-Ireland Senior Football ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
.
The stadium hosted one game involving Cavan
Cavan GAA
The Cavan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Cavan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Cavan...
when they progressed to round four of the qualifiers for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2005
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2005
-Leinster Senior Football Championship:-----------------------------------------Ulster Senior Football Championship:-------------------------------------------------Connacht Senior Football Championship:--------...
. The team entered the qualifiers in the second round where they beat Donegal
Donegal GAA
The Donegal County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Donegal GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Donegal. The county board is also responsible for the Donegal inter-county teams.Gaelic football is strongest in the...
by a score of 1-11 to 1-10 at the ground. Breffni Park also hosted the third round qualifying game between Monaghan
Monaghan GAA
The Monaghan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Monaghan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Monaghan and the Monaghan inter-county football and hurling teams. Separate county boards are responsible for the...
and Louth
Louth GAA
The Louth County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Louth GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Louth. The county board is also responsible for the Louth inter-county teams....
which Monaghan won by 1-12 to 0-14.
The round three qualifier for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2007
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2007
The 2007 Bank of Ireland All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, was a Gaelic football competition in Ireland, and was the most significant and prestigious competition in the sport held that year. It began on 13 May 2007, with the final game took place for Sunday, 16 September. Kerry were the...
between Derry
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
and Laois
Laois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
was played at Breffni Park. Derry won by 1-18 to 2-11 to go through to the quarter finals.
In 2011 Football Championship it will host the round 1 qualifier between Louth and Meath on Saturday, 25 Junne 2011@ 7pm, at 5pm Cavan play Longford.
Allianz National League
In 2004, Breffni Park hosted a Division 1B match between CavanCavan GAA
The Cavan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Cavan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Cavan...
and Armagh
Armagh GAA
The Armagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Armagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Armagh...
which Cavan won convincingly by a scoreline of 3-12 to 0-8. Armagh were winners of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2002
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2002
-Munster Senior Football Championship:-----------------------------Ulster Senior Football Championship:-------------------------------------Leinster Senior Football Championship:--------------------------------...
and runners-up in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2003
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2003
The 2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was won by Tyrone in a landmark final that was the first All-Ireland final that was contested by two teams from the same province, Tyrone, and Armagh - both from Ulster....
.
Breffni Park was chosen to host the 2006 Division Two Final of the Allianz National League between Donegal
Donegal GAA
The Donegal County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Donegal GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Donegal. The county board is also responsible for the Donegal inter-county teams.Gaelic football is strongest in the...
and Louth
Louth GAA
The Louth County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Louth GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Louth. The county board is also responsible for the Louth inter-county teams....
. There was controversy when Donegal's manager Brian McIver was upset as he thought the game should have been played at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
in Dublin. McIver said: "It defies logic and I think the sponsors might have something to say about it as well. It's very strange that the finals can suddenly be moved from Croke Park. [...] The National League is the second biggest competition in the GAA and the finals should be staged at Croke Park". The GAA claimed it was due to "the geographic considerations in respect of the four Division One semi-finalists". Donegal's semi-final defeat of Westmeath
Westmeath GAA
The Westmeath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Westmeath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Westmeath...
had also taken place at Breffni Park.
National Hurling League
Two of the National Hurling League Finals were played at Breffni Park on 2 May 2009. These were the Division Three A Final between MeathMeath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
versus Kildare
Kildare GAA
For more information see Kildare Senior Club Football Championship or Kildare Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Kildare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Kildare GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kildare...
and the Division Four Final between Monaghan
Monaghan GAA
The Monaghan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Monaghan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Monaghan and the Monaghan inter-county football and hurling teams. Separate county boards are responsible for the...
versus Sligo
Sligo GAA
The Sligo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Sligo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Sligo...
.
International rules football
On 31 October 2006, the first ever women's match in international rules footballInternational rules football
International rules football is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between Australian rules football players and Gaelic football players....
was played between Australia and Ireland
Ireland international rules football team
The Ireland International rules football team is the representative team for Ireland in international rules football, a compromise between Gaelic football and Australian rules football...
at Breffni Park. Ireland's convincingly beat Australia's women by 130-15.