Galway Sportsgrounds

Galway Sportsground, also known as The Sportsground, is a multi-purpose stadium in Galway, Ireland. It opened in 1927, with the playing of a soccer match. It is currently used mainly for Greyhound Racing as it is leased to Bord na gCon, the ground is sub-let to Connacht Rugby who use it as their home stadium to play rugby union matches in the Magners League and Heineken Cup competitions.

The 1942 Galway County Hurling Final was held at the venue.

When Terryland Park was being renovated in 1993 Galway United played at the Sportsgrounds for the first part of that season.

Capacity

The Sportsgrounds stadium is able to hold up to 8,000 people when temporary stands are put in place at either end of the ground.

The regular capacity is 5,500, and the record attendance for a Magners League fixture is 5,368 on Friday 28 March 2008 against Munster in season 2007–2008 .

The record attendance for a European match was 6,000 on Sunday 25 April 2004 against Harlequin F.C. (then NEC Harlequins) in the Semi-final of the 2003–2004 Parker Pen Challenge Cup (now the European Challenge Cup ). This was surpassed when 7,000 attended the Amlin Cup semi-final against Toulon on 30 April 2010.

Development

In the past few years the Irish Rugby Football Union has helped to fund a new playing surface, a new Clubhouse, terrace and floodlighting. In 2008 a new gymnasium was built, and the redevelopment of the existing Clubhouse Terrace and...
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