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Celtic Park (Derry)
Encyclopedia
Celtic Park is a Gaelic Athletic Association
stadium in Derry
, Northern Ireland
. It is the main home of the Derry GAA
's hurling
and Gaelic football
teams. The ground has a capacity of about 22,000.
It is officially recognised as the Derry GAA's main county ground. Home football games are also sometimes held in Glen
or Dean McGlinchey Park, Ballinascreen
, which are regarded as secondary stadia., while hurling games also on occasion take place at Lavey
or Fr. McNally Park, Banagher
.
As well as staging inter-county matches, it is often used for hosting Derry club football and Derry club hurling games. The Derry Senior Football Championship final has in recent years usually been held at the ground, most recently the 2008 final
where Ballinderry defeated Slaughtneil
. It also hosts the Derry Intermediate Football Championship
final, most recently won by Greenlough
defeating Ballymaguigan
in 2008 as well as the Derry Junior Football Championship
most recently won by Lissan
when they defeated Drum
in 2008.
in the Irish League
from 1900–1913. Derry Celtic were the forerunner to Derry City, who had the opportunity to purchase the ground in 1933, but hesitated on a decision and the Derry County Board bought it ten years later.
The venue has been hosting Derry inter-county games since the 1930s. Over the years Dean McGilnchey Park in Ballinascreen
hosted most Derry football games, but since the 1990s Celtic Park has established itself as the county's main stadium.
Floodlights were erected over the end of 2007 / start of 2008 and were first used for the National League
game between Derry and Mayo
on 2 February 2008. The official unveiling of the lights was held a few weeks later during the National League tie against Tyrone
on 5 April.
In the last couple of years, despite being able to hold more, the capacity had been limited to 12,000 for safety reasons. However, this wasn't set to change with the venue currently undergoing a £1.8 million revamp. Work on a new all-seater stand on the Lone Moor Road side of the ground started a few days after the 2008 Derry Championship
final. It was to hold 3,600 people, bringing the total stadium capacity to 18,000 or nearly 20,000. Other new developments in the revamped stand include a control room, TV gantry, media room, stewards' room, extra exit gates, improved disabled access and improved toilet facilities. The developments will make the stadium "among the best in Ulster".
The developments wouldn't be completed until the start of the Summer (2009), therefore Derry's home 2009 National League games had to be played elsewhere, most likely Glen
or Ballinascreen
. The renovations were completed in time for Derry's Ulster Senior Football Championship
game with Monaghan
(24 May).
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 Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, 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 main home of the Derry GAA
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...
's 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...
and Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
teams. The ground has a capacity of about 22,000.
It is officially recognised as the Derry GAA's main county ground. Home football games are also sometimes held in Glen
Glen GAC
Watty Graham's GAC Glen is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Maghera, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The team draws players from Maghera and some surrounding townlands. They currently cater for Gaelic football, Ladies' Gaelic football and Camogie.Glen are also committed to Scor,...
or Dean McGlinchey Park, Ballinascreen
Ballinascreen GAC
St Colm's Ballinascreen GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballinascreen, which includes the town of Draperstown, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA...
, which are regarded as secondary stadia., while hurling games also on occasion take place at Lavey
Lavey GAC
Erins Own GAC Lavey is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the parish of Lavey, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football, Hurling, Camogie and Ladies' Gaelic football....
or Fr. McNally Park, Banagher
Banagher GAC
St Mary's Banagher GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Feeny / Park area of County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA. Banagher is a dual club and currently cater for Gaelic football, Hurling and Camogie...
.
As well as staging inter-county matches, it is often used for hosting Derry club football and Derry club hurling games. The Derry Senior Football Championship final has in recent years usually been held at the ground, most recently the 2008 final
Derry Senior Football Championship 2008
-Match day 2:-Match day 3:-Section 2:-Match day 1:-Match day 2:-Match day 3:-Section 3:-Match day 1:-Match day 2:-Match day 3:-Section 4:-Match day 1:-Quarter-finals:-Semi-finals:-Final:...
where Ballinderry defeated Slaughtneil
Slaughtneil GAC
Robert Emmet's GAC Slaughtneil is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Slaughtneil, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football, Hurling and Camogie...
. It also hosts the Derry Intermediate Football Championship
Derry Intermediate Football Championship
The Derry Intermediate Football Club Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition between the intermediate Derry clubs...
final, most recently won by Greenlough
Greenlough GAC
St. Oliver Plunkett's GAC Greenlough is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Clady/Greenlough, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football and Camogie, and also compete in Scór. The club is named after Irish martyr...
defeating Ballymaguigan
Ballymaguigan GAC
St. Trea's Ballymaguigan GFC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballymaguigan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. They play in the Derry league and championships. They currently cater for both Gaelic football and Ladies' Gaelic football....
in 2008 as well as the Derry Junior Football Championship
Derry Junior Football Championship
The Derry Junior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition between the Junior Derry clubs...
most recently won by Lissan
Lissan GAC
St. Michael's GAC Lissan is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the parish of Lissan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football, Rounders and handball. St...
when they defeated Drum
Drum GAC
St. Colm's GAC Drum is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Drum, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football and Camogie and up to recently also played Hurling....
in 2008.
History
It was previously used for Association Football as the home of Derry Celtic F.C.Derry Celtic F.C.
Derry Celtic Football Club was a football club from Derry, Ireland. The club, formed as St Columb's Hall in 1890, changing to St Columb's Hall Celtic in 1893 after amalgamating with other Derry clubs Rosemount, Clooney Park and Ivy, and Derry Celtic in 1900, was once the primary team in the city,...
in the Irish League
IFA Premiership
The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
from 1900–1913. Derry Celtic were the forerunner to Derry City, who had the opportunity to purchase the ground in 1933, but hesitated on a decision and the Derry County Board bought it ten years later.
The venue has been hosting Derry inter-county games since the 1930s. Over the years Dean McGilnchey Park in Ballinascreen
Ballinascreen GAC
St Colm's Ballinascreen GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballinascreen, which includes the town of Draperstown, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA...
hosted most Derry football games, but since the 1990s Celtic Park has established itself as the county's main stadium.
Recent redevelopments
National Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
game between Derry and Mayo
Mayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
on 2 February 2008. The official unveiling of the lights was held a few weeks later during the National League tie against Tyrone
Tyrone GAA
The Tyrone County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Tyrone GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Tyrone. The county board is also responsible for the Tyrone inter-county teams....
on 5 April.
In the last couple of years, despite being able to hold more, the capacity had been limited to 12,000 for safety reasons. However, this wasn't set to change with the venue currently undergoing a £1.8 million revamp. Work on a new all-seater stand on the Lone Moor Road side of the ground started a few days after the 2008 Derry Championship
Derry Senior Football Championship 2008
-Match day 2:-Match day 3:-Section 2:-Match day 1:-Match day 2:-Match day 3:-Section 3:-Match day 1:-Match day 2:-Match day 3:-Section 4:-Match day 1:-Quarter-finals:-Semi-finals:-Final:...
final. It was to hold 3,600 people, bringing the total stadium capacity to 18,000 or nearly 20,000. Other new developments in the revamped stand include a control room, TV gantry, media room, stewards' room, extra exit gates, improved disabled access and improved toilet facilities. The developments will make the stadium "among the best in Ulster".
The developments wouldn't be completed until the start of the Summer (2009), therefore Derry's home 2009 National League games had to be played elsewhere, most likely Glen
Glen GAC
Watty Graham's GAC Glen is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Maghera, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The team draws players from Maghera and some surrounding townlands. They currently cater for Gaelic football, Ladies' Gaelic football and Camogie.Glen are also committed to Scor,...
or Ballinascreen
Ballinascreen GAC
St Colm's Ballinascreen GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballinascreen, which includes the town of Draperstown, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA...
. The renovations were completed in time for Derry's Ulster Senior Football Championship
Ulster 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...
game with 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...
(24 May).