carlow surface is class

brett favre (Sligo) - Posts: 659 - 12/05/2008 11:39:18    17878

metro buses to and from Casement park run at a fequency of 15 minutes monday to saturday, however as most matches take place on a sunday when the buses have a frequency of between 35 minutes to 1 hour depending on the time of day the 15 minutes is irrelevant. Castle street is in belfast city centre so NSG is saying that patrons should travel past casement park 3/4 miles to the city centre where there is no car parking of any consequence to get a taxi back the way they came. My only gripe is that i do not like people saying belfast is GAA friendly when it is not.

Tom1916 (Armagh) - Posts: 2001 - 12/05/2008 12:22:32    17927

Lifford Gael starts on about Clones by calling it "the WORST" and a "complete joke". Now admits that it has a great atmosphere but the infrastructure is poor. He should make that known to Ulster Council President Tom Daly from Donegal since the Ulster Council hasn't invested a penny there since the early 1990s under its 99-year lease. For example, it's the only county ground in Ulster which has not had floodlights installed by Ulster Council. Talk about wilful neglect of GAA fans' comfort!
Another piece of advice for Lifford Gael is to buy a road map and take one of the many alternative routes to Clones for a match.
As for Healy Park - great ground but hard to get at if you don't know Omagh's chaotic traffic and its capacity of 18,000 is only half of Clones. However, I'm ooking forward to what should be a great Ulster semi-final against Donegal there, or is that premature?
By the way, Lifford has a fabulous stadium, too, but it's gone to the dogs!

Borderboy (Monaghan) - Posts: 277 - 12/05/2008 12:27:09    17931

Best: Croke Park, I like Parnell Park, Hyde Park & Portlaoise.

Worst: Not used anymore but Tuam Stadium and Ennis

Cbar (Mayo) - Posts: 352 - 12/05/2008 13:35:18    17976

Tom1916

You seem to get very angry talking about Belfast being non gaa friendly? I personally would say its as GAA friendly as any of the major towns/citys it has a variety of people some like the GAA some dont.

The time of day people would be traveling it would be every ten minutes you can clarify by going on the translink web site if you so wish? I also believe people were saying that transport to casement is non existant and that was me answering that criticism, there is also adequate parking spaces in the car parks in the city centre or beside casement if you want to keep your car near the ground. Heaven forbid someone might steel your car, that would never happen in Dublin or Cork or any of the other GAA friendly cities though............................

North Side Gael (None) - Posts: 1076 - 12/05/2008 13:40:34    17978

Pearse Park in Longford has to have the worst terrace I was ever in. No matter where you are in it you cant see the whole pitch. I was standing just past the half way line on Sunday and I could'nt see either corners or the near sideline. Very bad design!!!!

Westmeath fan (Westmeath) - Posts: 61 - 12/05/2008 14:30:43    18027

Cusack Park in Mullingar isn't a terror either. I got stuck outside the Cross Rangers v Brigids game for 20 minutes as there was only 2 turnstiles letting in 5,000 people!

Dessie_Cross (Armagh) - Posts: 145 - 12/05/2008 15:55:06    18076

Lifford Gael

You say Omagh has far better infrastructure to Clones. Are we talking about the same pitch that held Monaghan v Donegal last year? It was attended by a full house of only 18,000 patrons and it was chaos. Half the crowd got stuck in traffic and there were still people entering the ground at half time. The traffic to and from the match from the Monaghan side was terrible with tailbacks in Ballygawley, Aughnacloy and Emyvale. Remember 18,000 is only half the capacity of Clones, what sort of a mess would it have been if a crowd of 36,000 was attending. Still the ground itself is excellent with great views of the pitch from all sides, so traffic aside, I would be glad to go back to a game there.

The truth is Clones is no worse or better than 90% of grounds in the North for traffic or tailbacks when you take into account the size of the crowds that it accomadates. Most of the criticisim of Clones comes from Derry and Antrim and parts of Donegal, which is natuaral as they have the longest journeys to make. You don't get the same criticism from Cavan, Fermanagh or even Tyrone or Armagh as Clones is within an hour anda halfs drive of most gaa areas in these counties and suits them fine

The Hunter (None) - Posts: 22 - 12/05/2008 16:58:31    18116

Nobody doubts that the atmosphere in Clones is great but the infrastructure is a complete shambles! It is actually quicker to travel from Donegal to Croke Park than to travel from Donegal to Clones! Surely that says it all! If you want a venue in Ulster that has everything (leaving aside the capacity) then look no further than Healy Park in Omagh! Its also central to all Ulster counties. The infrastructure is great, the atmosphere is great (think back to Donegal v Monaghan last year) and the facilities are pretty good too!
(Lifford Gael 10/05/2008)

You say Omagh has far better infrastructure to Clones. Are we talking about the same pitch that held Monaghan v Donegal last year? It was attended by a full house of only 18,000 patrons and it was chaos. Half the crowd got stuck in traffic and there were still people entering the ground at half time. The traffic to and from the match from the Monaghan side was terrible with tailbacks in Ballygawley, Aughnacloy and Emyvale. Remember 18,000 is only half the capacity of Clones, what sort of a mess would it have been if a crowd of 36,000 was attending. Still the ground itself is excellent with great views of the pitch from all sides, so traffic aside, I would be glad to go back to a game there.

The truth is Clones is no worse or better than 90% of grounds in the North for traffic or tailbacks when you take into account the size of the crowds that it accomadates. Most of the criticisim of Clones comes from Derry and Antrim and parts of Donegal, which is natuaral as they have the longest journeys to make. You don't get the same criticism from Cavan, Fermanagh or even Tyrone or Armagh as Clones is within an hour anda halfs drive of most gaa areas in these counties and suits them fine
(The Hunter 12/05/08)

The Hunter, I think if you reread my original message above, you will find that I acknowledged that the capacity of Omagh was a lot less than Clones. I doubt if you were actually at the Donegal v Monaghan game in Omagh last summer because if you were, you would realise that the reason for the tailbacks and a sizeable portion of the crowd still entering at half time was down to a bad car accident on the Monaghan side of Omagh!

Lifford Gael (Donegal) - Posts: 1925 - 12/05/2008 18:46:08    18178

Worst - Salthill/Gaelic Grounds Luimnigh
Best -Croker. Been in thurles once and thought it was super.

johnnos bulls (None) - Posts: 527 - 15/05/2008 11:26:25    19261

you can't have been to many grounds if you think the Gaelic Grounds is one of the 2 worst around. Was at 2 big games last year in limerick,no problems, had wife and 4 kids with me, was in the new open stand and had a brill view and time.

eastgael (Limerick) - Posts: 629 - 15/05/2008 11:44:28    19275

Best- Croker, Thurles, Prtlaoise and pairc tailteainn

worst- aughrim. ardfinnan, newbridge and dr cullen (for the coldness of a winter's sunday)

Southern Dandy (Wicklow) - Posts: 789 - 15/05/2008 11:45:02    19277

Well to be honest about the gaelic grounds, it is a fine stadium and the location isn't bad but every time i'm in it it's completely empty and is such a dead stadium. Have been at numerous games however have only ever been at one hurling championship encounter. Versus tipp bout 3 years ago. Went to extra time. Great game. PS it's always raining in limerick anyway. Bet ya it's raining now

johnnos bulls (None) - Posts: 527 - 15/05/2008 11:54:47    19291

Flooded out of it!

eastgael (Limerick) - Posts: 629 - 15/05/2008 12:15:31    19310

The Wicklow county grounds in AUGHRIM are a total disgrace.
Dug outs crap
toilets ..crap (literally)
parking...nighmare
playing surface...terrible
stand...hayshed
PA system...diddly aye music and tannoy messages about lost spectacles
Wind...would cut the snot off ya even in the summer

This was typed by a Carlowman '1944'. It's not often I'd agree with a scallion-eater but every word is true. AUGHRIM IS the Worst ground in Ireland. Has to be seen to be believed. I always it has the lowest capacity for county grounds, 6,000-7,000 approx. It is at odds with everything else in the county. Very wealthy county, just a very low interest in GAA. Hopefully a good run in the championship encourages Seán Mulryan, Ballymore Properties, our Abramovich to re-develop THE WORST COUNTY GROUND IN IRELAND.

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1142 - 25/05/2008 21:04:06    23300