The Sportsground

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The Sportsground
Galway Sportsgrounds
Connacht vs Leinster at Galway Sportsgrounds
Map
LocationGalway
Coordinates53°16′44″N 9°02′23″W / 53.2790°N 9.0397°W / 53.2790; -9.0397
Public transitGalway railway station
OwnerThe Galway Agricultural & Sports Society Ltd.
Capacity8,129
Surfacepitch (grass)
track (all-sand)
Opened1927
Tenants
Irish Greyhound Board
Connacht Rugby

The Sportsground, also known as The Galway Sportsgrounds and the Galway Greyhound Stadium and the Connacht Rugby Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Galway, Ireland. It opened in 1927, with the playing of a football match and has been used to host Connacht Rugby matches and greyhound racing since that time.

It is currently used as a base by Connacht Rugby for training and hosting matches at all levels. Greyhound racing takes place on Friday and Saturday evenings.[1]

The stadium has been leased on a long term basis to the Irish Greyhound Board who run the greyhound meetings at the Stadium. It is co-leased to Connacht Rugby who use it as their home stadium to play rugby union matches in the Pro14 and European competitions.

Rugby Union

Up until 2011, the regular capacity of The Sportsground was 5,500. The stadium was modified and extended in 2011, and again in 2016, instigated by the success of Connacht Rugby.

  • Main Stand – has enclosed corporate facilities and covered terrace underneath
  • The Clan Terrace – a covered terrace on the clubhouse side of the ground
  • Covered Stand – a covered seated stand to the side of the main stand which holds 300 people
  • Uncovered Terracing – at the Bohermore and College Road ends of the ground

It is able to hold up to 8,100 people without temporary seating. The Sportsground recorded its record attendance on 19 November 2011, when a crowd of 9,120 watched Connacht take on Toulouse in the team's first ever Heineken Cup match at home.

Renovations since 2011

Connacht's participation in European rugby's most prestigious club competition, the Heineken Cup, for the first time in the 2011–12 season spurred a new phase of development at the Sportsground to extend formal capacity to 7,500 supporters.[2] The existing Clubhouse terrace was knocked down to be replaced by the new covered "Clan Terrace". This terrace primarily houses season ticket holders. Ancillary work was also undertaken behind the terrace which saw the construction of a new bar (The Clan Bar), food outlets and restroom facilities on the Clubhouse side of the ground. A temporary covered and seated "West Stand", adjacent to the existing main stand was also erected for the season.[2] This raft of improvements came on the back of a series of development which the IRFU had helped to fund in the preceding years, such as a new playing surface, a new Clubhouse and floodlighting, while a new gymnasium had been built in 2008.[3]

In 2011, planning permission was granted to redevelop the Clan Terrace by building a seated tier above the terrace. This was ultimately not completed.[4]

In the summer of 2016, work was completed on an additional seated and covered stand which can hold 300 people. The stand, situated next to the Main Stand, increased the ground's regular capacity to 8,100.[5] Following a naming rights deal, it was christened as the Grant Thornton Stand.[6]

In October 2018, Connacht unveiled plans for a €30m redevelopment of the Sportsground to turn it into a 12,000 seater stadium with the redevelment to also include a high-performance training centre.[7][8]

Facilities

The facilities include a grandstand restaurant, fast food facilities, a number of bars.

Other Sports

It has occasionally hosted Gaelic games fixtures, most notably the 1932 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Final and the 1942 Galway County Hurling Final.

When Terryland Park was being renovated in 1993 Galway United played at the Sportsgrounds for the first part of that season. It also hosted Galway's first game in European competition in the 1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup.

Greyhound Racing

Racing takes place every Friday and Saturday evening.[9] Distances are 350, 525, 550, and 575 yards.[10] The feature competition at the track is the Champion Bitch Stake.[11]

History

The Galway Greyhound Company was established in 1932 but it took a further three years for the first greyhound racing to take place at the west coast venue on the west side of the Lough Atalia. The opening night was during 1935.

By 1978 the stadium required a facelift and the management decided that improvements could only be completed with the closure of the greyhound track. Therefore, in 1978 a new stand with bars and tote facilities was built and the circuit itself was re-laid with increased cambers. The grand re-opening was on 25 May 1979 with the modernisation costing over £500,000.[12] In 2003 the track was subject to a major renovation project that cost the Bord na gCon €6m.

In recent years Connacht Rugby have expressed a desire to redevelop the ground and have been in negotiation with the Irish Greyhound Board who hold a 99-year lease.[13]

Track records

Current [14] [15]

Yards Greyhound Time Date Date
325 Droopys Marco [16] 17.37 28.07.2004
350 Mall Brandy 18.62 07.06.2013
525 Hillcroft Josie 28.34 28.07.2007
550 Handy Princess 29.66 10.03.2007 Champion Bitch Stakes Final
575 Si Senor 30.97 24.11.2007
700 Tyrur Rachel 38.69 30.07.2007
725 Bogberry Molly 40.84 27.07.2013
810 Iflookscouldkill 45.09 04.08.2007
525 H Top Lark 29.34 23.07.2004

Former

Yards Greyhound Time Date Date
325 Hello Guy 18.61 1950
325 Hello Guy 18.15 1960
325 Move Solar 18.05 1970
325 Shashana 18.05 1970 =equalled
325 Ardrine Belle 17.88 28.08.1970
325 Clare Lodge 17.72 26.07.1993
325 The Quiffer 17.79 27.08.1982
325 Altinure Chief 17.56 22.06.2001
325 Tolmaker Hugh 17.54 19.07.2002
330 Carra Ree 18.60 08.05.1950
330 Move Handy 18.05 19.11.1966
350 Aulton Class 19.35 01.08.2007
350 Universal Class 19.24 30.08.2007
350 Liketheclappers 18.80 15.12.2007
350 Balliniska Woods 18.70 29.07.2009
350 Hurry Back 18.68 05.08.2011
500 Golden Victory 28.82 20.04.1951
525 Marching Through Georgia 30.00 1939
525 Spanish Battleship [17]
525 Gortkelly Hope 29.57 1970
525 Fly On Boy 29.54 29.07.1970
525 Splendid Silver 29.50 18.06.1976
525 New Line Bridge 29.46 12.07.1985
525 No Road Back 29.34 06.1997
525 No Road Back 29.05 07.1997
525 Magical Guest 29.25 02.08.2000
525 Spring Motion 29.12 04.08.2001
525 Plucky Customer 28.83 31.07.2002
525 Master Tom 28.82 06.09.2003
525 Joes Lang 28.77 31.10.2003
525 Niamhs Old Forge 28.70 07.11.2003
525 Tyrur Marita 28.51 10.01.2004
525 Deel Rover 28.49 16.07.2005
525 Droopys Commanche 28.47 22.07.2005
525 Holborn Post 28.46 29.07.2006
550 Erris Rebel 31.30 1943
550 Fealeside Duke 31.28 26.08.1977
550 Ollies Missy 30.74 31.07.1986
550 Crossleigh Fudge 30.30 27.06.1999
550 Tyrur Bello 30.12 19.07.2002
550 Coolio 30.11 04.12.2003
550 Tyrur Marita 29.82 21.05.2004
550 Handy Princess 29.74 03.03.2007 Champion Bitch Stakes semi-final
575 Tom and Gerry 31.77 01.08.2007
575 Illtellyouthis 31.43 08.09.2007
575 Line of Fire 31.26 03.11.2007
600 Farmhill Prince 35.05 1950
700 Rambling Customer 41.12 17.06.1960
700 Clonmohan Lucy 41.12 15.07.1960 =equalled
700 Moyglare Choice 40.46 17.12.1999
700 Hello Bud 39.25 01.08.2001
700 Hello Bud 39.25 31.07.2002
700 Mustang Kylie 39.16 23.07.2004
700 Midland Fire 39.10 20.05.2006
700 Blackjack Baggio 39.02 24.11.2006
810 Desert Chicken 48.80 1970
810 Skilful Story 46.80 08.08.1975
810 Deerwood 46.60 29.07.1985
810 Raheen Treasure 45.95 30.07.2002
810 Eye Rocket 45.85 23.07.2004
810 Group Champ 45.44 30.10.2004
810 Drominboy Jet 45.33 30.07.2005
810 Iflookscouldkill 45.15 04.07.2007
325 H Levally Roe 19.00 13.06.1958
330 H Halsham Playboy 19.80 03.09.1955
330 H Gambling Editor 19.75 1956
525 H Bay Moon 31.00 1939
525 H Golsto 30.55 14.07.1956
525 H Group Stinger 29.65 16.09.2000
525 H Slanemore Ivy 29.65 2002
525 H Top Lark 29.48 04.12.2003
550 H Gormans Fancy 32.90 1950

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Galway Sportsgrounds.

References

  1. ^ "Galway Greyhound Stadium". Irish Greyhound Board.
  2. ^ a b "Artist's Impression of the Sportsground Redevelopments". Connacht Rugby. Connacht Catch-Up. 13 July 2011. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012.
  3. ^ "Connacht Excited About Redeveloped Sportsground". Irish Rugby. 13 July 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  4. ^ "2nd Phase Connacht Branch Stadium Development". 3D Graphic House. Archived from the original on 29 July 2013.
  5. ^ "A new seated stand is in place at the Sportsground for Connacht's upcoming season". The42. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Connacht Secure Naming Rights Deal For New Stand". Irish Rugby. September 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Connacht rugby unveil ambitious plans for €30m redevelopment of the Sportsground". Irish Independent. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  8. ^ "New Sportsground the missing piece in Connacht jigsaw". Irish Independent. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Galway Greyhound Stadium". Irish Greyhound Board.
  10. ^ "Galway". Greyhound Data.
  11. ^ "Feature Events" (PDF). Irish Greyhound Board.
  12. ^ "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1979) May 2010 edition". Greyhound Star.
  13. ^ "Gerry Thornley: Pat Lam right to grasp nettle on Connacht's future prosperity". Irish Times.
  14. ^ "Track records". Greyhound Star.
  15. ^ "Galway Track records". Greyhound Star.
  16. ^ "Ladbrokes Open 325 final". Irish Greyhound Board.
  17. ^ "Remember When - November 1955". Greyhound Star.
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