Just want to know what people think of the ratings below. I know it's not the most interesting topic but I'm quite bored!!

Connacht:
1. Pearse Stadium-Galway
2. Markievicz Park-Sligo
3. Hyde Park-Roscommon
4. McHale Park-Castlebar
5.Paric Sean Mac Diarmaida-Carrick-On-Shannon

Ulster:
1.St.Tiernach's Park-Clones
2.Breffini Park-Cavan
3.Casement Park-Belfast
4.Healy Park-Omagh
5.Pairc Elser-Newry
6.Brewster Park-Enniskillen
7.Paric Mc Chomhaill-Ballybofey
8.Celtic Park-Derry
9.Athletic Grouds-Crossmaglen

Munster:
1.Semple Stadium-Thurles
2.Paric Ui Chaoimh-Cork
3.Pairc Na Gael-Limerick
4.Fitzgearld Stadium-Kilarney
5.Cusack Park-Ennis
6.Walsh Park-Dungarvan

Leinster:
1.Parnell Park-Dublin
2.Wexford Park-Wexford
3.O'Moore Park-Portlaoise
4.Paric Tailteann-Navan
5.Pearse Park-Longford
6.O'Connor Park-Tullamore
7.Cusack Park-Mullingar
8.Nolan Park-Kilkenney
9.St.Cloneth's Park-Newbridge
10.Dr.Cullen Park-Carlow
11.Gaelic Grounds-Drogheda
12.Aughrim

Leinster was a tough one to sort out as many are on a similar level

datsrite (Sligo) - Posts: 473 - 01/09/2008 10:35:04    89420

would say you probably have ulster and munster spot on although athletic grounds is in armagh city under under major development

samin10 (Armagh) - Posts: 2434 - 01/09/2008 11:41:53    89490

I would put healy park above casement in Ulster. Healy park has better parking and the set up is much more modern

oisinboy (Antrim) - Posts: 335 - 01/09/2008 11:42:19    89491

What exactly are you rating them on?

Pitch surface?

If so, heres my take on connacht

1 Markievicz Park, Sligo
2 Pearse Stadium, AKA Wind Park, Galway
3 Páirc Seán MacDiarmuida, Carrick On Shannon
4 Dr. Hyde Park Roscommon / McHale Park Castlebar

Atmosphere:

1 Páirc Seán
2 Markivicz
3 Hyde Park
4 McHale Park
5 Pearse Stadium

Also, had Tuam Stadium been included, it would probably top both lists

ross (Roscommon) - Posts: 66 - 01/09/2008 12:02:29    89515

Oh i dunno. The lack of catch nets in Clones drives me insane!! Is there any other major park that has this problem?

Would agree that Healy Park is better than casement.

Babsta (Tyrone) - Posts: 71 - 01/09/2008 12:14:51    89538

Don't think Parnell is the best stadium in Leinster, Pearse Park in Longford is a lovely little ground, Portlaois is a great place, pitch in Navan is fantastic but stands are poor enough, Dr. Cullen Park isn't a bad place either

updaroyal (Meath) - Posts: 1132 - 01/09/2008 12:35:18    89578

Have to agree that Healy Park is better than Casement, just prefer the atmosphere there and good facilities also.

mid-mon man (Monaghan) - Posts: 1680 - 01/09/2008 12:42:59    89591

Just for the record, datsrire, Walsh Park is in Waterford City. The famous venue in Dungarvan is Fraher Field. With regard to Leinster, I really like Pearse Park in Longford. Clones is tops in Ulster.

Star Gazer (Tipperary) - Posts: 436 - 01/09/2008 12:45:45    89593

I would have Fitzgerald Stadium the best one in Munster final. I have played in Limerick too and thought it was not a patch on it. Only ever walked on Pairc Ui Chaoimh but would still rate the Fitzgerald Stadium surfacwa lot better. as for Thurles it more for hurlers and can't really say

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 01/09/2008 12:55:42    89607

I would put Clones last on the list in Ulster, Ireland and Europe. It takes three hours to get out of it.

Casement always had the potential to be the best in Ulster, for access and playing surface, but it was neglected for years.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 01/09/2008 13:01:23    89619

I was rating them on everything from pitch surface, stands, etc. Well I had a bit of trouble with Casement park.Didn't know where exactly to put it. They have great terraces but the stand looks a bit outdated. Hyde Park is one of the worst playing surfaces I've come accross. Theres not one spot on the field thats level and Mc Hale Park is no better.
Pairc Sean I am sure is not the regulation length as it's as wide as it is long and the sideline is too close to the fence so too is Paric Elser and a few other.
Navan looks like one of the oldest grounds in the country. Any ground that calls a mound with grass on it a terrace has something wrong.
In Markievicz we're after extending the stand and built a new terrace the scoreboard end and I can never complain about the pitch.

datsrite (Sligo) - Posts: 473 - 01/09/2008 13:08:43    89630

Dd you park in a tree or something the last time you were in clones patrique? I don't know how it would take anyone 3 hours to get out of clones, unless you were sitting at the bar in the paragon for 2 and a half of those hours. You really need to look up some of the shortcuts if you honestly having that much trouble getting out of it. In the middle of the summer, ulster final day, there's no better place for a match than st. tiernachs park. Its a class surface in the summer, and its the traditional home of ulster football, Nearly everyone in ulster has fond memories of clones in some way or another. Unfortunately the surface suffers sometimes towards the end of the year when its being overrun with club finals and ulster club games. Obviously the facilities need upgrading a good bit, but if there is a bit of work being done on it soon as was mentioned, it would be a real class venue. Even if you didn't like clones ahead of casement or whatever, for enough, but to put it last is a bit silly, what happened in clones to make you dislike it so much?!

mid-mon man (Monaghan) - Posts: 1680 - 01/09/2008 13:20:47    89648

I think Breffni is a lovely pitch, nice big stand, nice pitch, only pity is that it can get water-logged as it is in the "hole" in the town, but a nice place nonetheless

updaroyal (Meath) - Posts: 1132 - 01/09/2008 13:23:18    89650

How would Parnell Park be the best ground in Leinster? No matter how you rate them there's no justification for that.
Pearse Satdium has the biggest capacity and the best facilities in Connacht but it loses out badly on atmosphere and the fact every game is ruined by the wind. Castlebar has a better atmosphere although the stadium itself needs alot of work.

Personally I think the best ground outisde of Croke Park is definitely Thurles. Great atmosphere and a top class playing surface. Pearse Stadium in Salthill is a perfect example of how you can have good facilities and shiny new stands but that's no use if the atmosphere is lacking, and you have an ever-present sea wind blowing the ball over the place. Most Galway football supporters would prefer to see the football back in Tuam, although Tuam is in disrepair now and in need a serious makeover.

aidangalway (Galway) - Posts: 648 - 01/09/2008 13:39:20    89671

I'd have Parnell Park very low down the list in Leinster and certainly not top.

Royal_Gunner (Meath) - Posts: 534 - 01/09/2008 14:03:06    89710

Yes Mr Mid monaghan, I did sit in the bar for three hours, then left at 8pm, so that it only took one and a half hours to drive the 10 miles to Monaghan Town, and then a mere one hour back to Antrim.

As for traditional home, well the Garvaghy Road used to be a traditional place as well. Things change.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 01/09/2008 14:05:00    89715

samin10 was past the athletic grounds last week and looks like its been revamped with a stand and terracing on all sides?? is that correct. is it going to be the county ground again? am i right in sayin the ogs dont play there anymore?

Baker the glen (None) - Posts: 371 - 01/09/2008 14:25:09    89741

Theres no way Parnell Park is the best ground in Leinster. If anything its in the bottom end ahead of Newbridge, Drogheda, and Aughrim. One of the best playing surfaces has to be Nowlan Park, Kilkenny and also Cusack Park in Mullingar. Regards to atmosphere I don't think you can beat Dr. Cullen or Pearse Park, Longford. Both are reasonably small but crowd are close kept close to pitch and creates great buzz on match day.

AN Other Fan (Wicklow) - Posts: 56 - 01/09/2008 15:07:36    89784

Fitzgerald Stadium well ahead of Pairc Uí Chaoimh and Gaelic Grounds (in terms of surface, access & spectator facilities) and would be def. no. 1 for football in province. I would rate it even above Thurles but would give way to hurling brethern who might think differently (nb like Thurles Killarney once staged the All Ireland Hurling Final).

dingle1 (Clare) - Posts: 805 - 01/09/2008 15:21:57    89800

Ah, patrique, you want to start goin in the other end, turn of towards coneen in fivemiletown, you end up parked about a mile from the pitch and very little queues gettin out, was at both ulster finals this yr and was back in belfast before 7 from both.

Derry_ledd (Derry) - Posts: 2093 - 01/09/2008 15:27:19    89812