Páirc Uí Rinn
Encyclopedia
Páirc Uí Rinn (ˈpˠaːɾʲc iː ˈɾˠiːn̪ʲ) is a stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...

 in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

 owned by 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...

 (GAA). It was formerly Flower Lodge, a soccer ground home to several Cork teams in the 20th century, named after a Big House on whose grounds it was built.

Flower Lodge

The most popular and enduring soccer team was Cork Hibernians, who were one of the most successful League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...

 teams in the 1960s and '70s. "The Lodge" was regularly filled for Hibs home games, particularly for their local derby with Cork Celtic. However, both Cork clubs went out of business in the late 1970s, after experiencing a sudden collapse in their crowds. Cobh Ramblers, then a nonleague side, played an FAI Cup
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...

 semifinal replay against Sligo Rovers at Flower Lodge in 1983, as it had a larger capacity than their own ground. The 1973 FAI Cup final replay was played at Flower Lodge. A new Cork team, Cork City F.C., was formed in 1984, and initially also played at Flower Lodge. In 1985, the Republic of Ireland national soccer team played a friendly match against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...

 there, as part of the Cork 800 celebrations. In 1986, the Ancient Order of Hibernians
Ancient Order of Hibernians
The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New York City in 1836...

, who owned the ground, put it up for sale, forcing Cork City F.C. to move to Turners Cross
Turners Cross (stadium)
Turners Cross is an all-seater football stadium located in and synonymous with the district of Turners Cross, Cork, Ireland. It is home to the Munster Football Association, and League of Ireland side Cork City FC....

.

Páirc Uí Rinn

The old stadium was acquired by the GAA, and renamed Páirc Uí Rinn (Ring Park in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

) after Christy Ring
Christy Ring
Nicholas Christopher Michael Ring , better known as Christy Ring, was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with the Glen Rovers club from 1941 until 1967 and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1939 until 1963. Ring is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers in...

, famed Cork and Glen Rovers
Glen Rovers GAA
Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Ballyvolane and Blackpool areas of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling.-Colours:...

 hurler
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...

. The terraces
Terrace (stadium)
A terrace or terracing in sporting terms refers to the traditional standing area of a sports stadium, particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland...

 at either end of the pitch were demolished to allow the longer playing field required by gaelic games. Páirc Uí Rinn is the second-largest capacity GAA ground in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

, behind Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in the Ballintemple area of Cork in Ireland, where major hurling and Gaelic football matches are played. It is the home of Cork GAA...

. The former hosts lesser matches, such as the group stages of the National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...

, National Football League
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...

 and underage games; the latter is reserved for major matches such as the All-Ireland championships. The current capacity of Páirc Uí Rinn is approximately 18,000. Plans have just been announced to increase the capacity of the stadium by extending the existing stand
Stand
Stand may refer to:*Stand, Greater Manchester, a residential area in the Metropolitan Borough of Manchester, England*A partnership in cricket*STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition...

 and installing concrete terraces behind the goals. Páirc Uí Rinn is the first GAA stadium in Ireland to have installed floodlight
Floodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....

s, resulting in a number of late evening games taking place.

See also

  • List of GAA Stadiums by Capacity
  • Stadiums of Ireland
    Stadiums of Ireland
    The 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 :...

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