Páirc Esler
Encyclopedia
Páirc Esler formerly Páirc an Iúir (also called The Marshes) is a Gaelic Athletic Association
stadium in Newry
, County Down
, Northern Ireland
. It is the home of the Down
Gaelic football
and hurling
teams and the Newry Shamrocks GAA clubhttp://www.newryshamrocks.org/. The ground has a capacity of about 20,000. In recent years the ground has under gone major redevelopment work, with new stands, floodlights , new pitch all added in 2006/2007. From 1999 to 2004 no senior intercounty championship matches were played at the venue. After the development of a new terrace at the Canal end of the ground and a new stand on the south side of the ground, Down hosted the All Ireland Champions, Tyrone, in round 2 of the football championship qualifiers. The following year both Fermanagh and Derry visited the ground in the qualifiers, Down losing to the latter. The ground was closed after the Down v Armagh game in Division 1B of the National Football League in March 2006 for further developmenthttp://www.downgaa.net/downgaa/general/news/2006/june/june9th1.htm.
With work now completed on the ground, with a new covered stand and floodlighting facilities, the ground hosted its first Ulster Senior Football Championship Match since 1999 when Cavan visited the stadium for a prelim. round replay on Sunday 20 May 2007, which the home side won 0–15 to 0–11. In June it held a first round Ulster Championship clash with Monaghan and a first round qualifier game with Meath – Down lost both games.
On 8 October 2007, the new stand was officially opened by GAA president Nickey Brennan, just before the start of the Senior Football Championship Final between Mayobridge and Longstone, which ended in a draw. Mayobridge won the replay, and their fourth title in a row. The 26th October saw the official switch on of the floodlights, which was marked by the division one league final between Kilcoo and An Riocht. An Riocht won the game by 3 points, with AFL star Martin Clarke scoring 2–1 in the final. It has now hosted Dr. McKenna cup matches in 2008 in which Down played and beat Cavan, UUJ and hammered Donegal 5–14 to 0–13. In the same year they won the final which was played in Casement Park, Belfast. Down V Derry, and later in the championship first round beat soon-to-be All Ireland SFC Champions Tyrone, the only team that year to do so in the championship.
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 Newry
Newry
Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is the home of the Down
Down GAA
The Down County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Down GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Down...
Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
teams and the Newry Shamrocks GAA clubhttp://www.newryshamrocks.org/. The ground has a capacity of about 20,000. In recent years the ground has under gone major redevelopment work, with new stands, floodlights , new pitch all added in 2006/2007. From 1999 to 2004 no senior intercounty championship matches were played at the venue. After the development of a new terrace at the Canal end of the ground and a new stand on the south side of the ground, Down hosted the All Ireland Champions, Tyrone, in round 2 of the football championship qualifiers. The following year both Fermanagh and Derry visited the ground in the qualifiers, Down losing to the latter. The ground was closed after the Down v Armagh game in Division 1B of the National Football League in March 2006 for further developmenthttp://www.downgaa.net/downgaa/general/news/2006/june/june9th1.htm.
Reopening
On 8 October 2007, the new stand was officially opened by GAA president Nickey Brennan, just before the start of the Senior Football Championship Final between Mayobridge and Longstone, which ended in a draw. Mayobridge won the replay, and their fourth title in a row. The 26th October saw the official switch on of the floodlights, which was marked by the division one league final between Kilcoo and An Riocht. An Riocht won the game by 3 points, with AFL star Martin Clarke scoring 2–1 in the final. It has now hosted Dr. McKenna cup matches in 2008 in which Down played and beat Cavan, UUJ and hammered Donegal 5–14 to 0–13. In the same year they won the final which was played in Casement Park, Belfast. Down V Derry, and later in the championship first round beat soon-to-be All Ireland SFC Champions Tyrone, the only team that year to do so in the championship.