St Conleth's Park
Páirc Naoimh Conlaith | |
 | |
 | |
| Location | Newbridge, County Kildare, W12 X067, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°10′45.88″N 6°47′39.77″W / 53.1794111°N 6.7943806°W |
| Public transit | Newbridge railway station |
| Owner | Kildare GAA |
| Capacity | 15,000 (3,000 seated)[1] Capacity history
|
| Field size | 137 × 80 m (150 × 87 yds) |
| Field shape | rectangle |
| Surface | grass |
Cedral St Conleth's Park (Irish: Páirc Naoimh Conlaith) is a GAA stadium in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. It is the county ground of Kildare's Gaelic football and hurling teams. It also served as the town's greyhound racing track from 1948 until 1968.
The park is named for Conleth (Conláed; c. AD 450–519), the parish's patron saint.
In May 2023, following a naming-rights agreement, the venue was branded as "Cedral St Conleth's Park", Formally known as Tegral, Cedral are part of the global building materials group Etex.
Ground
[edit]The ground formerly had a capacity of 13,000, but following a health and safety audit in 2011, this was reduced to 8,000[3] and subsequently to 6,200.[4] In 2024 the redevelopment was completed bringing the capacity of the stadium to 15,000, including 3,000 seats in a newly constructed stand.[1] State-of-the-art floodlights were also installed.[1]
Greyhound racing
[edit]Greyhound racing at St Conleth's Park started on 30 April 1948.[5] After only one year the GAA governing body banned racing around all of their pitches which meant the greyhound racing was suspended.[6] However it restarted on 21 June 1950 with racing taking place over race distances of 310, 350, 525 and 550 yards and 350 yards hurdles. The racing lasted a further eighteen years up until 1968, when it was decided that the greyhound operation would be better suited outside of the town at venue where racing could take place on a purpose built stadium. That stadium was Newbridge Greyhound Stadium which opened in 1972.[7]
Track records
[edit]| Yards | Greyhound | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 310 | Feale Ranger | 17.65 | 14.06.1961 |
| 350 | P For Poor | 19.88 | 03.07.1953 |
| 550 | Claverstown Flower | 31.89 | 05.10.1957 |
| 350 H | Chestnut Bridge | 21.08 | 11.10.1950 |
| 350 H | Jigger Lee | 21.08 | 20.11.1950 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "St Conleth's Park reopens for Naas-Celbridge clash in Kildare senior football final". Irish Times. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Farrell, Sinead (21 July 2018). "Newbridge Silverware! 'All the pubs were full. It reminded me of Italia 90'". RTE. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ "Lilies Chief Disgusted at Neutral Venue for Qualifier", Irish Independent, 17 July 2012
- ^ "Leinster Counties Urged to Improve Grounds", Irish Examiner, 12 December 2012
- ^ Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN 0-85020-0474.
- ^ Comyn, John. 50 Years of Greyhound Racing in Ireland. Aherlow Publishers Ltd.
- ^ Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
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