Walsh Park

{{short description |Sports stadium in Waterford, Ireland}} {{for |the townland in County Tipperary |Walshpark}} {{more citations needed|date=June 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=January 2021}} {{Infobox venue | name = Walsh Park | nickname = '''{{lang|ga|Páirc an Bhreathnaigh}}''' | image = | location = Slievekeale Road, [[Waterford]], Ireland | coordinates = {{coord|52|15|17.60|N|7|7|40.02|W|display=title,inline|type:landmark}} | owner = Robert Starken | cost = | capacity = 12,000<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2019/0509/1048414-deise-looking-forward-to-home-comforts-after-16-years/ | title=Waterford looking forward to home comforts after 16 years away | publisher=RTE | date=9 May 2019 | access-date=23 January 2021 }}</ref> | dimensions = {{cvt|142|x|80|m|yd}} | public_transit = {{rint|ie|rail}} [[Waterford railway station|Waterford]]<br>Arbour Road bus stop<br>Slievekeale Road bus stop }} '''Walsh Park''' ({{langx|ga|Páirc Breathnach}}) is a [[Gaelic Athletic Association|GAA]] stadium in [[Waterford]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. It is one of the two homes of the [[Waterford GAA|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 "there'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."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IiB0DwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Fraher+Field%22&pg=PT123|title=At All Costs|first1=Davy|last1=Fitzgerald|first2=Vincent|last2=Hogan|date=26 October 2018|publisher=Gill & Macmillan Ltd|isbn=9780717179589|via=Google Books}}</ref>

Walsh Park is named after [[Willie Walsh (referee)|Willie Walsh]], who refereed many All-Ireland SFC and SHC finals, including the [[1916 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.gaa.ie/stories/1916-all-ireland-referees-remembered/|title=1916 All Ireland referees remembered|first=Cian|last=O'Connell|date=9 December 2016}}</ref>

==Redevelopment== The stadium was set to undergo a €7m redevelopment to result in an increased capacity of 16,500 by 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ryan |first=Eoin |date=1 March 2019 |title=2020 vision: Waterford hopeful Walsh work will be swift |work=RTÉ News |url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2019/0301/1033761-2020-vision-waterford-hopeful-walsh-work-will-be-swift/ |access-date=14 May 2023 |via=}}</ref> However, delays because of [[COVID-19]] and increased costs mean completion is not expected until 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ryan |first1=Eoin |title=No home games for Waterford hurlers due to Walsh Park work |url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2023/0109/1345761-no-home-games-for-waterford-due-to-walsh-park-work/ |access-date=10 January 2023 |publisher=RTÉ News |date=9 January 2023}}</ref>

Phase 1 of the redevelopment was completed by the end of 2023. Works were completed on a new uncovered northern stand with a capacity of 3,400, along with the refurbishment of the existing southern stand. The Waterford senior hurling team played their home games in the [[2023 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship|2023 Munster Senior Hurling Championship]] at [[Semple Stadium]] due to the redevelopments.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rte.ie/sport/hurling/2023/0904/1403337-waterford-eye-further-expansion-as-walsh-park-reopens/|title=Waterford GAA eye further expansion as Walsh Park reopens|date=4 September 2023|work=RTE Sport|accessdate=25 April 2024}}</ref>

==See also== * [[List of Gaelic Athletic Association stadiums]] * [[List of stadiums in Ireland by capacity]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://waterford.ratemyarea.com/places/walsh-park-121451 Walsh Park] * [http://www.ticketmaster.ie/Walsh-Park-tickets-Waterford-City/venue/198511 Walsh Park on ticketmaster.ie] * [http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/ireland/waterford_walsh.shtml Walsh Park]

[[Category:Gaelic games grounds in the Republic of Ireland]] [[Category:Sport in Waterford (city)]] [[Category:Sports venues in County Waterford]]