Walsh Park

Walsh Park
Páirc an Bhreathnaigh
Map
LocationSlievekeale Road, Waterford, County Waterford, X91 YT10, Ireland
Coordinates52°15′17.60″N 7°7′40.02″W / 52.2548889°N 7.1277833°W / 52.2548889; -7.1277833
Public transitWaterford railway station
Arbour Road bus stop
Slievekeale Road bus stop
OwnerRobert Starken
Capacity11,046[1]
Field size142 x 80 m

Walsh Park (Irish: Páirc Breathnach) is a GAA stadium in Waterford, Ireland named after Willie Walsh, a well-known referee and long time campaigner for Gaelic games in Waterford.[2] It is one of the two homes of the Waterford Gaelic football and hurling teams, the other being Fraher Field in Dungarvan. The two grounds are rivals for important games. The current Waterford hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald has stated that "(T)here's this endless battle between Walsh Park and Fraher Field, a political battle almost. If one field gets a game, the other has to get the next one. Dungarvan was a nice field, but my personal preference was always Walsh Park, because I felt it had more of the feel of a fortress."[3]

Walsh Park is named after Willie Walsh, who refereed many All-Ireland SFC and SHC finals, including the 1916 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final.[4]

  1. ^ "Waterford looking forward to home comforts after 16 years away". RTE. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Official Waterford GAA Website". Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  3. ^ Fitzgerald, Davy; Hogan, Vincent (26 October 2018). At All Costs. Gill & Macmillan Ltd. ISBN 9780717179589 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ O'Connell, Cian (9 December 2016). "1916 All Ireland referees remembered".