Are you looking for the biggest stadiums in Ireland? Ireland is an intriguing nation in terms of sports. This is due to the fact that local matches are the most widely played and watched sports in the nation.
The two most popular sports in the nation are hurling and Gaelic football, which is not surprising considering that they both have Irish roots. They are collectively referred to as “Gaelic Games” along with handball. Despite the popularity of these sports, if Northern Ireland is taken into account, association football continues to be the most popular team sport on the island.
The biggest stadiums in Ireland are listed below from our list of locations where the games are held!
15 biggest stadiums in Ireland
Celtic Park
- Location: County Derry
- Capacity: 18,000
- inaugurated day: in 1888
- Construction Cost: £35,000
The Celtic Football Club’s home field is Celtic Park, located in Glasgow’s Parkhead neighborhood. Other names for it include Parkhead and Paradise.
The first Celtic Park opened in Parkhead in 1888, while Celtic was founded in 1887. After the first location’s rental fee was significantly raised, the club relocated to the current location in 1892. The new location was transformed into an oval stadium with substantial terracing. On January 1, 1938, an Old Firm derby set the attendance record with 83,500 spectators.
RDS Arena
- Location: Dublin
- Capacity: 18,500
- inaugurated day: in 1927
- Construction Cost: no information
The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) is the owner of the multi-use RDS Arena, which is situated in the Ballsbridge neighborhood of Dublin, Ireland.
The arena was built to accommodate horse-related activities, particularly the yearly Dublin Horse Show, which was first staged there in 1881. The RDS had purchased the property in 1879.
Leinster Rugby, which participates in the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup, is one of the main tenants of the RDS Arena. Along with concerts, the arena has held soccer, wrestling, and other activities. 18,500 people can fit inside, 16,500 of whom can sit.
For horse events, the Grandstand and Anglesea Stand are the only permanent stands; the demountable north and south stands are removed. In 1927, the Anglesea Stand was finished.
Markievicz Park
- Location: County Sligo
- Capacity: 18,558
- inaugurated day: in 1965
- Construction Cost: €2.4 million
The primary GAA stadium in County Sligo, Ireland is called Markievicz Park (Irish: Páirc Marcievicz), and it serves as the home field for the Sligo hurling and Gaelic football teams.
Markievicz Park is one of the biggest stadiums in Ireland. It was built in 1955 in Sligo town and is named after Constance Markievicz, a participant in the 1916 Easter Rising, the first woman elected to Dáil Éireann, and the first woman elected to the British parliament, though she refused to take her seat there. Seán Forde, who raised the majority of the funds required to build the stadium, is largely responsible for its construction.
Markievicz Park was completely renovated after a ten-year, €2.4 million effort. The safe capacity increased from 10,500 to 18,558 as a result (3,585 seated under a covered stand, 14,936 standing terraced, and 37 disabled spectator places).
Cusack Park
- Location: County Clare
- Capacity: 19,000
- inaugurated day: in 2012
- Construction Cost: €500,000
A GAA stadium called Cusack Park is located in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. Its Irish name is Páirc U Chósóg.
The two areas behind the goals and one covered terraced length of the pitch make up the three terraced sides of the stadium. For the first match since the stadium’s reopening, local rivals Limerick GAA came to town on June 17, 2018, and the stadium was entirely sold out.
O’Connor Park
- Location: Offaly
- Capacity: 20,000
- inaugurated day: in 2006
- Construction Cost: no information
Currently, the stadium has terracing on three sides and a covered stand on one of the pitch’s sides. In 1991, a stand was constructed; in 2006, the present building took its place. The stand was finished in 2006. It is now known as the “New Stand” till a choice regarding a new name is made. Each of its ten sections is divided horizontally, with green, white, and gold seats (the Offaly GAA’s colors) and the words “Ubh Fhail” (the Irish for Offaly) written over the white area.
The terracing on the opposing side of the pitch was improved at the same time the stand was built, enabling it to hold 8,000 spectators without difficulty.
Thomond Park
- Location: Limerick
- Capacity: 25,600
- inaugurated day: in 2008
- Construction Cost: no information
The Irish Rugby Football Union utilizes and owns Thomond Park, another stadium in Limerick. The stadium was built in 1934, but between 2007 and 2008 it underwent a comprehensive makeover. Some of the most incredible stadiums in Ireland have stands that face the length of the field, like the two here.
Three distinct rugby teams, including Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC, and UL Bohemian RFC, call the stadium their home field. In addition to being one of Ireland’s most beautiful football stadiums, it is noted for its extraordinarily loud atmosphere during matches.
Pearse Stadium
- Location: Galway
- Capacity: 26,197
- inaugurated day: in 1957
- Construction Cost: £34000
The primary GAA stadium in the western Irish city of Galway is called Pearse Stadium. The stadium is where the Galway GAA hurling and Gaelic football teams play their matches. It first welcomed guests in 1957 and underwent renovation in 2003.
After its reconstruction, the stadium could hold 34,000 people, but in more recent years, that number has dropped to just 26,197. Connacht Senior Football Championship games and concerts are held there as well as popular local contests. 63,000 people allegedly attended an Ed Sheeran performance here in 2018.
Nowlan Park
- Location: Kilkenny
- Capacity: 27,000
- inaugurated day: in 1927
- Construction Cost: no information
UPMC or Nowlan Park The primary GAA stadium in the Irish city of Kilkenny, which is located in the South East of Ireland, is called Nowlan Park. James Nowlan (1862–1924), the longest-serving President of the GAA between 1901 and 1921, was honored with a stadium bearing his name.
Nowlan Park is one of the biggest stadiums in Ireland. The stadium’s doors first opened in 1927, and it currently holds 27,000 people, 18,000 of whom are seated. Hurling is the most popular sport played there, and Kilkenny’s hurling team calls the stadium home. At this location, the most significant hurling matches in this region of Ireland are played.
St Tiernach’s Park
- Location: Clones
- Capacity: 29,000
- inaugurated day: in 1905
- Construction Cost: £4.5 million
Ulster’s GAA stadium is located in County Monaghan and is named St Tiernach’s Park. In the northeastern region of the country, the town of Clones is very close to the Northern Ireland border. The stadium is frequently referred to as simply “Clones” due to its location in this very small town.
The stadium can accommodate 29,000 people, an impressive number given that Clones only has 1,700 residents. The annual “Ulster Senior Football Championship final,” the primary event, regularly draws a large crowd to the stadium.
Fitzgerald Stadium
- Location: Killarney
- Capacity: 38,000
- inaugurated day: in 1936
- Construction Cost: €4.8 Million
The primary GAA stadium is Fitzgerald Stadium, located in the southwest Irish city of Killarney. The initial iteration of the stadium, which was finished between 1930 and 1936, was named in honor of Dick Fitzgerald (182–1930), the first prominent figure in the Gaelic Athletic Association.
The €4.8 Million that was spent on its renovation in 2009 dwarfed the £3,000 that was spent on building the stadium in the 1930s. Fitzgerald Stadium has music events frequently, just like many other stadiums in Ireland. The Pussycat Dolls, Bryan Adams, and Elton John are just a few of the musicians who have performed here.
Gaelic Grounds
- Location: Limerick
- Capacity: 44,023
- inaugurated day: in 2004
- Construction Cost: €12 million
The primary GAA stadium is located in Limerick, an Irish city in the west of the country, and is formally known as the TUS Gaelic Grounds. In this location, the original stadium’s doors originally opened in 1928. The 1980s were the primary expansion phase period.
The two stands behind the goal, the uncovered Angel Ashes Stand, and their construction cost €12 million in 2004. The stadium could hold 49,866 people at the time of this project, but that number has since been lowered to 44,023 for safety reasons. It is now Ireland’s fifth-largest stadium as a result.
Páirc Uí Chaoimh (The Park)
- Location: Cork
- Capacity: 45,000
- inaugurated day: in 1976
- Construction Cost: €110 million
Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a stadium in Cork that is usually referred to as “The Park.” Although it was finished in 1976, a thorough renovation in 2017 brought the capacity up to 45,000. The stadium became the third-largest Gaelic games stadium in Ireland as a result of this.
The two most popular sports played at the stadium are hurling and Gaelic football by Cork GAA teams. Concerts are frequently held in the stadium. In May 2018, Ed Sheeran had the good fortune to be the first performer in the brand-new stadium.
Semple Stadium
- Location: Thurles
- Capacity: 45,690
- inaugurated day: in 1910
- Construction Cost: €5.5 million
The second-largest stadium specifically for “Gaelic Athletic Association” teams is Semple Stadium. It is situated in the southern region of Ireland, in the town of Thurles, in the province of Munster.
The stadium’s seating capacity is just under half. There are 24,000 seats and 21,690 standing spaces in the stadium. The stadium was initially finished in 1910, but during the course of its existence, it underwent numerous renovations. This involves a project, the first phase of which cost €5.5 million and was finished in 2018.
Aviva Stadium
- Location: Dublin
- Capacity: 51,700
- inaugurated day: in 2010
- Construction Cost: €410 million
The site of the collapsed Lansdowne Road Stadium was used to build Dublin’s relatively new sports arena, known as Aviva Stadium. The €410 million stadium, which was finished between 2007 and 2010, is unquestionably the most magnificent in Ireland.
Aviva Stadium is one of the biggest stadiums in Ireland. It was built for the Irish rugby union team and the Republic of Ireland football team, two national teams of Ireland. The striking roof of the contemporary stadium waves like the ocean. This amazing feature was added to prevent the stadium from obscuring the light of the adjacent residents.
Related: Top 10 the biggest stadiums in England by capacity 2023
Croke Park
- Location: Dublin
- Capacity: 82,300
- inaugurated day: in 1884
- Construction Cost: €260 million
By a wide margin, Croke Park is the biggest stadium in Ireland. Between 2007 and 2010, it was briefly utilized for football and rugby union matches as well as Ireland’s well-known Gaelic Games. The remaining seats are standing rooms only and can accommodate 69,500 people.
The central Dublin stadium’s initial construction was finished between 1880 and 1884, while the most current reconstruction, which cost €260 million, was finished in 2004. It was given the name Thomas Croke (1824–1902) in honor of the Archbishop, a key role in the late 19th-century Irish nationalist struggle.
Above is our list of the biggest stadiums in Ireland. Cupfc.net hopes that you can go to these stadiums to experience the most thrilling football matches. If there’s any stadium missing from this list, let us know!
