Pearse Stadium
Encyclopedia
Pearse Stadium is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association
stadium, in County Galway
, Ireland
. The stadium opened on June 16, 1957, as 16,000 people came to watch Galway
beat Tipperary
in hurling
, and Kerry
in football, and to watch Bishop Michael Browne bless the facility.
The stadium was opened by GAA President, Séamus McFerran. Among those invited were the 12 surviving members of the 1923 all-Ireland winning hurling team.
The area, on which the 34,000 seater stadium was built, was known locally as The Boggers. The 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) site was offered to the Gaelic Athletic Association
by the town secretary Sean Gillan, and terms of purchase were negotiated. Much of the land was very wet and boggy. Work was being carried out to deepen the River Corrib
at the time, so the infill from the river was used to fill in parts of the pitch and give it an elevated sideline.
Pearse Stadium has hosted many hurling and football matches since, but it fell into disuse in the early 1990s. The Stadium was renovated in 2002 and reopened in May 2003 with a capacity of 34,000. Since the major redevelopment of the ground, it has regularly hosted the Connacht Senior Football Championship
final in recent years.
And in 2006 the International Series versus Australia was played in Pearse Stadium which was the first time it took place outside GAA
Headquarters Croke Park
.
The Stadium occasionally receives negative publicity due to the lack of dedicated off-street parking. In response to repeated representations made by local residents as well as community groups campaigning on pedestrian rights and road safety issues, the Garda Siochana handed out large numbers of parking tickets on at least two occasions in October 2010. Some GAA fans saw this as harsh, and one disgruntled supporter even described the Fixed Charge Penalties issued to illegally parked vehicles as a "blatant attack" on the GAA itself However, both the GAA County Board and the Garda Siochana were adamant that they had issued repeated warnings in advance and insisted that illegally parked vehicles were ticketed after these warnings were ignored.
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 County Galway
County Galway
County Galway 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 city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The stadium opened on June 16, 1957, as 16,000 people came to watch Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
beat Tipperary
Tipperary
Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....
in 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 Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
in football, and to watch Bishop Michael Browne bless the facility.
The stadium was opened by GAA President, Séamus McFerran. Among those invited were the 12 surviving members of the 1923 all-Ireland winning hurling team.
The area, on which the 34,000 seater stadium was built, was known locally as The Boggers. The 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) site was offered to the Gaelic Athletic Association
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...
by the town secretary Sean Gillan, and terms of purchase were negotiated. Much of the land was very wet and boggy. Work was being carried out to deepen the River Corrib
River Corrib
The River Corrib in the west of Ireland flows from Lough Corrib through Galway to Galway Bay. The river is among the shortest in Europe, with only a length of six kilometres from the lough to the Atlantic. It is popular with local whitewater kayakers and is the training ground of , as well as...
at the time, so the infill from the river was used to fill in parts of the pitch and give it an elevated sideline.
Pearse Stadium has hosted many hurling and football matches since, but it fell into disuse in the early 1990s. The Stadium was renovated in 2002 and reopened in May 2003 with a capacity of 34,000. Since the major redevelopment of the ground, it has regularly hosted the Connacht Senior Football Championship
Connacht Senior Football Championship
The Bank of Ireland Connacht Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition for the senior county teams of Connacht GAA. A series of games are played during the summer months and the final is played in July....
final in recent years.
And in 2006 the International Series versus Australia was played in Pearse Stadium which was the first time it took place outside GAA
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...
Headquarters Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
.
See also
- List of GAA Stadiums by Capacity
- Stadiums of IrelandStadiums of IrelandThe following is a list of sports stadiums in Ireland. Most stadiums are used for Gaelic games, association football, or rugby union. This includes stadiums in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.- See also :...
The Stadium occasionally receives negative publicity due to the lack of dedicated off-street parking. In response to repeated representations made by local residents as well as community groups campaigning on pedestrian rights and road safety issues, the Garda Siochana handed out large numbers of parking tickets on at least two occasions in October 2010. Some GAA fans saw this as harsh, and one disgruntled supporter even described the Fixed Charge Penalties issued to illegally parked vehicles as a "blatant attack" on the GAA itself However, both the GAA County Board and the Garda Siochana were adamant that they had issued repeated warnings in advance and insisted that illegally parked vehicles were ticketed after these warnings were ignored.
External links
- Pearse Stadium
- Virtual Tour Virtual Tour of Pearse Stadium from centre of the pitch.