Disused LOI football grounds

[Paddyfield]

Now that The Market's Field is about to be rejuvinated for Limerick FC, it made me think about all of the other football grounds. I know Glenmalure aka Milltown is now residential but what ever happened to...

Lourdes Stadium (Drogheda)
St Mel's Park (Athlone)
Rathbane (Limerick)
Buckely Park (Kilkenny)
Gortakeegan (Monaghan)

Any other suggestions?

[Aaron]

Always remember a ground called Harolds Cross from some Derry City videos I have, who played there?

[PartySaint]

Always remember a ground called Harolds Cross from some Derry City videos I have, who played there?

Pats and Shels. It's a greyhound track in South Dublin. Think I saw an article about it the other day saying it's been sold and they're getting rid of the track.

Edit: here it is http://m.independent.ie/business/commercial-property/harolds-cross-greyhound-stadium-to-be-sold-30681851.html

[Lim till i die]

Pats played in Harolds Cross.

Maybe Shels at some stage as well??

Rathbane has never been less disused funnily enough.

Dressing rooms are being refurbished at the moment and there's dugouts and a tv tower gone in.

Hill Celtic play junior games there and it's the home ground of the Limerick FC schoolboy section, pitch is in good nick.

[White Horse]

Lourdes Stadium is now an athletics venue, and quite a good one too.

http://www.cilles.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Lourdes.jpg

[atfconline]

Mel's is just waste ground, nothing left standing in the place.

[Charlie Darwin]

Pats and Shels. It's a greyhound track in South Dublin. Think I saw an article about it the other day saying it's been sold and they're getting rid of the track.

Edit: here it is http://m.independent.ie/business/commercial-property/harolds-cross-greyhound-stadium-to-be-sold-30681851.html
Shame. Glad the greyhound racing will be gone, but would be an ideal location for Shels to relocate in their traditional catchment area if they had any money. Will just be houses now.

[MeathDrog]

Lourdes Stadium is now an athletics venue, and quite a good one too.

http://www.cilles.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Lourdes.jpg
Is that where the terrace used to be on the right?

I've only ever been to an MDL game at the old Lourdes stadium.

[kksaints]

Pretty sure Buckley Park is still used for some Kilkenny district league matches.

[wonder88]

I think Thurles Town played at the Greyhound Track there, across from Semple Stadium. Never been, but I suppose you still fit a soccer pitch in there. Is Newcatlewest ground still there? St James Gate Iveagh Grounds?
St Francis amalgamated with St Pats, don't know what happened to their ground. Remember watching on telly St Patrick (Pat Dolan) coming out of a helicopter at City West to meet St Francis and announce the deal. Anyone know what year?

[MeathDrog]

http://www.toddarch.co.uk/cmsfiles/projects/commercial/irishtown/main.jpg

Irishtown Stadium, former home of Shels.

[Charlie Darwin]

St Pat's YC play at Irishtown still, I think.

[Pablo Escobar]

In Cork, we have the infamous Bishopstown. Home to Cork City in the early to mid 90's. It's recently become home to our ladies team so is now back in LOI use. The Mardyke is home to the UCC rugby, but used to be home to Cork United and Cork Athletic in the 40's and 50's. It even hosted a full Irish international in the 30's. Flower Lodge, now Pairc Ui Rinn is now used as a 2nd ground to Cork GAA, but used to play host to Cork Hibernians in the 50's, 60's and 70's. It was finally used by Cork City in the 80's before the GAA bought the ground.

[PartySaint]

I think Thurles Town played at the Greyhound Track there, across from Semple Stadium. Never been, but I suppose you still fit a soccer pitch in there. Is Newcatlewest ground still there? St James Gate Iveagh Grounds?
St Francis amalgamated with St Pats, don't know what happened to their ground. Remember watching on telly St Patrick (Pat Dolan) coming out of a helicopter at City West to meet St Francis and announce the deal. Anyone know what year?

St Francis still have their pitches, they still use them. Good pitches as well.

[red bellied]

The Mardyke (Cork), Kilcohan Park, Whitehall (Home Farm), Abbeycarton, RDS, and Baldonnel (St Francis), I don't think any of these have been mentioned so far.

[Town Legend]

Longford schoolboy soccer league play out of Abbeycarton these days.

Belgium Park - Mons first LOI ground

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Morton Stadium in Santry. Hated going there.

[pineapple stu]

Snuck into Belfield Park a couple of years ago (can't remember when exactly)

At the time, it was pretty much untouched except that it hadn't been maintained in four or five years. So falling apart in a way that Acornvilla would be thrilled to explore with his camera.

I think they were building a new campus building inside the ground, but the red brick wall was to be left standing.

Edit - actually, you can still see Belfield Park on Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps/place/53%C2%B018'09.4%22N+6%C2%B012'43.3%22W/@53.303474,-6.2138763,340m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en-GB), and you can see the faint traces of the new roads there as well. You can drop the little man figure onto the new roads and see the current lay of the land in Street View (https://www.google.com/maps/place/53%C2%B018'09.4%22N+6%C2%B012'43.3%22W/@53.303474,-6.2138763,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1shKMr9nuXvxEm-7J5_0fxGA!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en-GB). There's now a road to a car park along where the main stand was - the brick wall beside the road is the one which was behind the main stand - and the new buildings are presumably built on the pitch and the hill.

[Dodge]

Pats were in Harolds Cross from August 89 to December 93. Won a league there but poxy ground. Shels were there for a good few years before that. Galway actually played a home game there too

[WoodquayBoy]

Yeah, not sure of date but it was in the 1990s, we played an away game in Dublin and in order to finish season, we played a home game at Harold's Cross the following day!

[marty]

Was it St Francis and Home Farm played in Whitehall? Remember Ramblers playing a final of the first div shield against Home Farm around 98 I think....twas over two legs and we lost,Home Farm didn't last too long after that.

[Patrick Dunne]

St James Gate (Iveagh Grounds) and Newcastle West (The Demesne) - football still being played at both of these locations by the same clubs as played in the LOI.

Limerick have played at Jackman Park, Thomond Park, Pike Rovers, Markets Field, Rathbane.

Kilcohan Park (Waterford) - still used for the greyhounds ?

Presume Newbridge Town still at Station Road.

Galway United have used six grounds for competitive matches : Deacy Park, Galway Sportsgrounds, Crowley Park, Ballindereen Community Pitch, Carraroe Community Pitch, Harolds Cross.

[Martinho II]

Was it St Francis and Home Farm played in Whitehall? Remember Ramblers playing a final of the first div shield against Home Farm around 98 I think....twas over two legs and we lost,Home Farm didn't last too long after that.

no St Francis always played at Baldonnel. Home Farm still and did play in Whitehall. Dublin City in the noughties played there in Whitehall too..

[Martinho II]

I think Thurles Town played at the Greyhound Track there, across from Semple Stadium. Never been, but I suppose you still fit a soccer pitch in there. Is Newcatlewest ground still there? St James Gate Iveagh Grounds?
St Francis amalgamated with St Pats, don't know what happened to their ground. Remember watching on telly St Patrick (Pat Dolan) coming out of a helicopter at City West to meet St Francis and announce the deal. Anyone know what year?

I know that merger with St Pats and St Francis was in 01/02 season so it had to be 01 at least?

[the 12 th man]

Morton Stadium in Santry. Hated going there.

Still used by Drumcondra FC who play in the Leinster Senior League,looks exactly like it did back then.

[El-Pietro]

apparently the St. Pats/St. Francis merger never actually went through. Does anyone have the full story on that?

[gufcfan]

apparently the St. Pats/St. Francis merger never actually went through. Does anyone have the full story on that?

It's a long story. Almost as long as the proposed post-merger name was.

[El-Pietro]

Saint Patricks Athletic Football Club Incorporating Saint Francis Football Club

to be known as the Dublin Supersaints? Pats kept the Supersaints bit

[Longfordian]

Jesus that name's got Pat Dolan's fingerprints all over it, like a Mars bar someone left behind in his car.

[TheBoss]

Since we are talking about former LOI grounds, here is a list of all venues used in a League of Ireland matches along with clubs that played at least one match as the home team. Premier & First Division matches only. I may have forgotten the odd one but confident this list is complete.



VENUE
CLUB
(Played at least one league home match at venue)


Abbeycartron
Longford Town


Anglesea Road
Shelbourne United/Dublin United


Athletic Grounds
Dundalk


Athlone Town Stadium
(Lissywollen)
Athlone Town


Ballinlough Road
Fordsons


Ballinaneesagh
Waterford


Ballygowan Park
(Desmesne)
Newcastlewest/Newcastle United


Bath Avenue
Shelbourne United


Beech Hill
Dublin United


Belfield Park
UCD/Shelbourne/Shamrock Rovers


Belgium Park
Monaghan United


Bellevue Lodge
Olympia/Dublin United


Bishopstown Stadium
Cork City (1984)


Brandywell Stadium
Derry City (1928)/Derry City (2011)


Buckley Park
EMFA/Kilkenny City


Carlisle Grounds
Bray Unknowns/Transport/Bray Wanderers


Chalgrove Terrace
Brooklyn


Chapelizod Greyhound Stadium
St. Patrick's Athletic


Claremount Road
YMCA


Crowley Park
Galway United


Dalymount Park
Bohemians/Dublin United/Olympia/Frankfort/
Shamrock Rovers/Pioneers/Jacobs/Shelbourne United/
Brooklyn/Waterford/St. James' Gate/Dolphin/
Reds United/Shelbourne/Brideville/Drumcondra/
Transport/St. Patrick's Athletic


Dolphin Park
Dolphin


Drom Soccer Park
Salthill Devon/SD Galway


Dubarry Park
Athlone Town


Eamonn Deacy Park
(Terryland Park)
Galway Rovers/Galway United/Mervue United/
SD Galway/Galway


Fahy's Field
Mervue United


Ferrycarrig Park
Wexford Youths


Finn Park
Finn Harps


Flower Lodge
Cork Hibernians/Cork Celtic/Albert Rovers/
Cork Alberts/Cork United (1979)/Cork City (1984)


Glenmalure Park
(Milltown)
Shamrock Rovers/Shelbourne United/Reds United/
Athlone Town/Shelbourne/St. Patrick's Athletic


Gortakeegan
(Kingspan Century Park)
(Century Homes Park)
Monaghan United/Dundalk


Greyhound Stadium
Thurles Town


Greyhound Track
Cork Bohemians


Harold's Cross Stadium
Brideville/Dolphin/Transport/Shelbourne/
St. Patrick's Athletic/Galway United


Hogan Park
(Rathbane)
Limerick City/Limerick (1992)


Irishtown Stadium
Shelbourne


Iveagh Grounds
St. James' Gate/Dolphin


Jackman Park
Limerick (1992)/Limerick 37/Limerick (2009)


John Hyland Park
St. Francis/Fingal-St. Francis


Kilcohan Park
Waterford/Cork United (1979)/Waterford United


Longford Rugby Club
Longford Town


Lourdes Stadium
Drogheda/Drogheda United


Mardyke
Fordsons/Cork/Cork City (1938)/Cork United (1939)/
Cork Athletic/Evergreen United/Cork Hibernians/Cork Celtic


Marist College
Dundalk


Market's Field
Limerick (1937)/Limerick United/Limerick City


Morton Stadium
Shamrock Rovers/Dublin City/Sporting Fingal


Musgrave Park
Cork City (1984)


Oriel Park
Dundalk/Monaghan United


Ozier Park
Waterford


Pike Rovers Ground
Limerick (1992)


Ranelagh Grounds
Athlone Town


Rathmines Park
Rathmines Athletic


RDS Arena
Shamrock Rovers


Richmond Park
(Stadium of Light)
Brideville/St. Patrick's Athletic/Shamrock Rovers/Dublin City


Richmond Road
Frankfort/Brideville


Rutland Avenue
Jacobs/Olympia/Pioneers/Midland Athletic/
Brooklyn/Shamrock Rovers


RSC
Waterford United


Shelbourne Park
Shelbourne/Shamrock Rovers/Shelbourne United/
Pioneers/Athlone Town/Jacobs/
Bray Unknowns/Brideville


Sports Ground (Athlone)
Athlone Town


Sports Ground (Galway)
Galway United


St. Colman's Park
Cobh Ramblers/Cork City (1984)


St. James' Park
St. James' Gate/Dublin United/Shamrock Rovers/
Pioneers/Brideville


St. Mel's Park
(Golden Island Park)
Athlone Town/Cork Celtic


Station Road
(Newbridge)
Kildare County


Strand Hall
Pioneers


Strokestown Road
(City Calling Stadium)
(Flancare Park)
Longford Town


Tallaght Stadium
Shamrock Rovers/Shamrock Rovers 'B'


The Showgrounds
Sligo Rovers


The Thatch
Midland Athletic/Pioneers


Thomond Park
Limerick (2009)


Tolka Park
Shamrock Rovers/Drumcondra/Dolphin/Brideville/
Shelbourne/Bohemians/Transport/St. Patrick's Athletic/
Home Farm-Drumcondra/Home Farm/
Cork City (1984)/St. James' Gate/Dublin City


Turner's Cross
Cork Bohemians/Cork United (1939)/Evergreen United/
Cork Athletic/Cork Celtic/Cork Hibernians/Cork United (1979)/
Cork City (1984)/Shamrock Rovers/Cork City FORAS Co-op/
Cork City (2011)


UCD Bowl
UCD


United Park
(Hunky Dorys Park)
(O2 Park)
Drogheda United/Dundalk


Whitehall
Home Farm/Home Farm-Everton/
Home Farm-Fingal/Dublin City


Woodbrook
Bray Unknowns

[Comic Book Guy]

I reckon I've been in 39 of those grounds in my time following loi and in particular ramblers . I'd imagine there's others here that could top that number comfortably.

[Comic Book Guy]

I drive past Flower Lodge most days on my way to work, still gets me. I can remember a very good article in a city match programme a couple of years after the sale giving an alternative version of events surrounding the sale. Great thread.

[oriel]

Excellent work Boss, great attention to detail.

[atfconline]

Our League game at home to Galway United 28/10/2006 was played at Dubarry Park, as well the Cup game against Rovers a few weeks before.

[Aaron]

Derry City (1928)/Derry City (2011)





Ye can **** right off with that!!!!

[The Donie Forde]

Ballinlough (Fordsons) is now residential housing (Pic-du-Jer Park).

[Charlie Darwin]

Ballinlough (Fordsons) is now residential housing (Pic-du-Jer Park).
What lunatic was put in charge of naming that?

[gael353]

As you go into pairc ui coimh in cork (gaa) you see the old stands with fordsons written on them.

[The Donie Forde]

City v Shams 91 was played at Musgrave Park.
City v Bohs, Pats and Drogs 92 were all played at St Colman's Park
City v Bohs 95 was played at Tolka Park

[The Donie Forde]

What lunatic was put in charge of naming that?

I think it's a mountain near Lourdes...!

[gufcfan]

If you're inclined to include European games, you can add this (http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/season=1986/matches/round=599/match=4279/postmatch/lineups/index.html) for Galway United.

Not disused, just not used for soccer any more.

[Pablo Escobar]

As you go into pairc ui coimh in cork (gaa) you see the old stands with fordsons written on them.
Donie might set me right here, but I'd assume that's The Showgrounds, which would make sense as it was only a stones throw from Ford's. If that's right, you can add it to the list.

[TheBoss]

Derry City (1928)/Derry City (2011)




Ye can **** right off with that!!!!

Well, the Derry City Chairman's comments regarding their Europa League rejection might say otherwise.



"Because the new club has only been in existence for two years - not three years - we had to apply for a derogation of the rule,"

"We paid a lot of football debts that were nothing to do with us, but from the previous club but apparently we're not going to be accepted."

[thischarmingman]

Finn Park hasn't been used for football for years.

[seand]

Regarding Dundalk:
The old Athletic Ground was at the (old) greyhound racing track in town, behind the cathedral. Now housing I think?
The single game played at the Marist college grounds was probably just on the school's playing fields, which are presumably still there.
We also played competitive home games at Bellurgan United's ground (Longford, League Cup 96, ground still there and is use), Richmond Park (a League Cup tie v Pats 05 reversed), Dalymount and Tolka (Europe)

If you add in Europe, off the top of my head you can add these home grounds:
Dalyer- Dundalk (Zurich), Drogheda many, Sporting Fingal (Maritimo)
Tolka- UCD (Everton), Bray (Trabz), Dundalk (Varteks)
Lansdowne- Limerick (Real), Waterford (MU, Celtic), Shels (Depo)
Tallaght- Pats (Karpaty), Drogheda (Malmo)
RDS- Pats (Steaua) others at RDS?
Oriel- Bohs (Dresden)
Carraroe- Galway
Crowley Park- Galway
Flower Lodge- Bohs (Omonia), Pezoporikos!
Prenton Park- Shels (Rangers)
Brandywell- Omagh Town!

[Dodge]

apparently the St. Pats/St. Francis merger never actually went through. Does anyone have the full story on that?

Yep. It boils down to this. Someone in Francis (ALan Duncan) approached Pats about a merger as was looking to move up in the FAI world. Pats (Dolan) agreed, thinking Pats would get Baldonnel. As the league season was about a week away Francis pulled out of the league. About 2 months later it became clear that Pats wouldn't be allowed near Baldonnell and your man wouldn't be allowed near any decision making at Pats

So it stopped. Thankfully

Your man Duncan went on to nearly ruin Rovers too

[Dodge]

Oh and The Boss, St James Gate used Tolka Parl for a year too. In 1995/96. Not sure if they played the whole year there but certainly started there

[Longfordian]

Yep. It boils down to this. Someone in Francis (ALan Duncan) approached Pats about a merger as was looking to move up in the FAI world. Pats (Dolan) agreed, thinking Pats would get Baldonnel. As the league season was about a week away Francis pulled out of the league. About 2 months later it became clear that Pats wouldn't be allowed near Baldonnell and your man wouldn't be allowed near any decision making at Pats

So it stopped. Thankfully

Your man Duncan went on to nearly ruin Rovers too

"Mr Three Clubs" Duncan as one of our officials apparently once called him during a row about something or another.

[pineapple stu]

What was the Shelbourne home game played in Belfield Park?

I remember the Shamrock Rovers one (Pete Mahon's first game in charge; a 2-0 loss with Hugh Davey sent off), but not the Shels one.

[Mr A]

Derry City (1928)/Derry City (2011)





Ye can **** right off with that!!!!

Yeah, he's missed a couple of versions there at least.