Thomond Park
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| Fortress Thomond | |
| Opened | 1940 |
|---|---|
| Owner | Irish Rugby Football Union |
| Surface | Grass |
| Capacity | 26,500[1] (15,100 seated) |
| Tenants | |
| Munster Rugby Shannon RFC UL Bohemian R.F.C. |
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Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. Munster Rugby are the main tenants of the stadium though it is also home to Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in 2008.[1] The Republic of Ireland national football team have two international friendlies scheduled for Thomond Park in coming months.
The stadium holds a special place in rugby due to its own unique history and atmosphere.[citation needed] The Stadium is famed for its noise during play and the complete silence while home and away players are kicking for goal.[2] Munster also retained an intimidating 12 year unbeaten run at Thomond in the Heineken Cup - running from the competition's start in 1995 until 2007 when the Leicester Tigers broke the streak with a 13-6 win. It is at Thomond park that Munster celebrated their 12-0 victory over the All Blacks in 1978.
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[edit] History
Limerick F.C. played Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland and BSC Young Boys in the European Cup in 1960 and Torino in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1971 in Thomond.
[edit] Attendances
The highest pre-redevelopment official attendance in Thomond Park came in 1992 when a local derby in the All-Ireland League between clubs Shannon RFC and Garryowen FC saw 18,000 people cram into the old ground.It has been alleged that unofficial attendances for Heineken Cup home games involving Munster have been higher than this. There is also a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that 100,000 attended the historic defeat of the All Blacks in 1978, a nod to the mythical status the game has ascended to in local folklore. Since the redevelopment, attendance figures have generally averaged near the 26,000 (full capacity) mark.[1]
[edit] Pre re-development layout
Thomond Park originally consisted of two pitches, the main pitch and a training pitch. The main pitch was bounded on all sides by terracing with a stand located above the west terrace. The training pitch was located behind the west stand with the Shannon R.F.C. pavilion located in the southwest corner of the ground. The UL Bohemian R.F.C. pavilion was located within the west stand.
Traditionally, the former terracing and four sides of the pitch had local nicknames, however they have since fallen out of local parlance. The most famous of these was the east terrace which was known amongst fans as the "Popular side", this sat opposite the "Stand side", joining the "City End" (South Terrace) with the "Ballynanty End" (North Terrace).[citation needed] The "Popular side" gained notoriety in local rugby folklore for the colourful comments that can be heard emanating from local wags and alicadoos in the direction of the pitch, occasionally drawing reaction from players and officials, to the amusement of other attendants.[citation needed]
[edit] Redevelopment
In 1998 and 1999 following the introduction of the professional era the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) spent several million pounds on floodlighting, terracing, toilets, medical facilities and a new pitch for the ground. In January 2006, the Munster Branch of the IRFU made offers to buy some adjacent houses to expand the stadium. In March 2006 the IRFU and Munster Rugby announced that Thomond Park was unanimously selected for the site of the branch's new stadium, and in May 2006 the design for the re-development was unveiled.[citation needed] Work started in early 2007, and the project was completed for a re-opening in Autumn 2008.
The principal elements of the project saw the erection of two new stands adjacent to the existing main pitch, with a seating capacity of 15,100 and terrace capacity of 10,530, or 25,630 in all.[3]
It was thought that Thomond Park would be renamed in a sponsorship deal, following its redevelopment.[4]. However, it was confirmed in February 2008 that the name Thomond Park would remain the same, with naming rights being sold for the individual stands instead.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b Irish Independent - "O'Connell: We must do justice to new-look Thomond" - Friday October 03 2008 (capacity has been increased from 12,500 to 26,500)
- ^ Irish Examiner - "an old Thomond Park tradition (..) total silence for (the) kicker"
- ^ Geraghty, Pat (2007-06-21). "Thomond Park Developments". Munster Rugby. http://www.munsterrugby.ie/19_3580.php. Retrieved on 2007-06-26.
- ^ RTÉ Sport: Thomond Park set to be renamed
- ^ European Rugby Cup : Thomond Park Name to Remain a Fixture in Europe
[edit] External links
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Coordinates: 52°40′27.30″N 8°38′32.58″W / 52.67425°N 8.6423833°W
