Galway Sportsgrounds


The Sportsground, also known as The Galway Sportsgrounds and the Galway Greyhound Stadium and the Connacht Rugby Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Galway, Ireland. It opened in 1927, with the playing of a football match and has been used to host Connacht Rugby matches and greyhound racing since that time.
It is currently used as a base by Connacht Rugby for training and hosting matches at all levels. Greyhound racing takes place on Friday and Saturday evenings.
The stadium has been leased on a long term basis to the Irish Greyhound Board who run the greyhound meetings at the Stadium. It is co-leased to Connacht Rugby who use it as their home stadium to play rugby union matches in the Pro14 and European competitions.

Rugby Union

Up until 2011, the regular capacity of The Sportsground was 5,500. The stadium was modified and extended in 2011, and again in 2016, instigated by the success of Connacht Rugby.
It is able to hold up to 8,100 people without temporary seating. The Sportsground recorded its record attendance on 19 November 2011, when a crowd of 9,120 watched Connacht take on Toulouse in the team's first ever Heineken Cup match at home.

Renovations since 2011

Connacht's participation in European rugby's most prestigious club competition, the Heineken Cup, for the first time in the 2011–12 season spurred a new phase of development at the Sportsground to extend formal capacity to 7,500 supporters. The existing Clubhouse terrace was knocked down to be replaced by the new covered "Clan Terrace". This terrace primarily houses season ticket holders. Ancillary work was also undertaken behind the terrace which saw the construction of a new bar, food outlets and restroom facilities on the Clubhouse side of the ground. A temporary covered and seated "West Stand", adjacent to the existing main stand was also erected for the season. This raft of improvements came on the back of a series of development which the IRFU had helped to fund in the preceding years, such as a new playing surface, a new Clubhouse and floodlighting, while a new gymnasium had been built in 2008.
In 2011, planning permission was granted to redevelop the Clan Terrace by building a seated tier above the terrace. This was ultimately not completed.
In the summer of 2016, work was completed on an additional seated and covered stand which can hold 300 people. The stand, situated next to the Main Stand, increased the ground's regular capacity to 8,100. Following a naming rights deal, it was christened as the Grant Thornton Stand.
In October 2018, Connacht unveiled plans for a €30m redevelopment of the Sportsground to turn it into a 12,000 seater stadium with the redevelment to also include a high-performance training centre.

Facilities

The facilities include a grandstand restaurant, fast food facilities, a number of bars.

Other Sports

It has occasionally hosted Gaelic games fixtures, most notably the 1932 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Final and the 1942 Galway County Hurling Final.
When Terryland Park was being renovated in 1993 Galway United played at the Sportsgrounds for the first part of that season. It also hosted Galway's first game in European competition in the 1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup.

Greyhound Racing

Racing takes place every Friday and Saturday evening. Distances are 350, 525, 550, and 575 yards. The feature competition at the track is the Champion Bitch Stake.

History

The Galway Greyhound Company was established in 1932 but it took a further three years for the first greyhound racing to take place at the west coast venue on the west side of the Lough Atalia. The opening night was during 1935.
By 1978 the stadium required a facelift and the management decided that improvements could only be completed with the closure of the greyhound track. Therefore, in 1978 a new stand with bars and tote facilities was built and the circuit itself was re-laid with increased cambers. The grand re-opening was on 25 May 1979 with the modernisation costing over £500,000. In 2003 the track was subject to a major renovation project that cost the Bord na gCon €6m.
In recent years Connacht Rugby have expressed a desire to redevelop the ground and have been in negotiation with the Irish Greyhound Board who hold a 99-year lease.

Track records

Current
YardsGreyhoundTimeDateDate
325Droopys Marco17.3728.07.2004
350Mall Brandy18.6207.06.2013
525Hillcroft Josie28.3428.07.2007
550Handy Princess29.6610.03.2007Champion Bitch Stakes Final
575Si Senor30.9724.11.2007
700Tyrur Rachel38.6930.07.2007
725Bogberry Molly40.8427.07.2013
810Iflookscouldkill45.0904.08.2007
525 HTop Lark29.3423.07.2004

Former
YardsGreyhoundTimeDateDate
325 Hello Guy18.611950
325 Hello Guy18.151960
325 Move Solar18.051970
325 Shashana18.051970=equalled
325 Ardrine Belle17.8828.08.1970
325 Clare Lodge17.7226.07.1993
325 The Quiffer17.7927.08.1982
325 Altinure Chief17.5622.06.2001
325 Tolmaker Hugh17.5419.07.2002
330 Carra Ree18.6008.05.1950
330 Move Handy18.0519.11.1966
350 Aulton Class19.3501.08.2007
350 Universal Class19.2430.08.2007
350 Liketheclappers18.8015.12.2007
350 Balliniska Woods18.7029.07.2009
350 Hurry Back18.6805.08.2011
500 Golden Victory28.8220.04.1951
525 Marching Through Georgia30.001939
525 Spanish Battleship
525 Gortkelly Hope29.571970
525 Fly On Boy29.5429.07.1970
525 Splendid Silver29.5018.06.1976
525 New Line Bridge29.4612.07.1985
525 No Road Back29.3406.1997
525 No Road Back29.0507.1997
525 Magical Guest29.2502.08.2000
525 Spring Motion29.1204.08.2001
525 Plucky Customer28.8331.07.2002
525 Master Tom28.8206.09.2003
525 Joes Lang28.7731.10.2003
525 Niamhs Old Forge28.7007.11.2003
525 Tyrur Marita28.5110.01.2004
525 Deel Rover28.4916.07.2005
525 Droopys Commanche28.4722.07.2005
525 Holborn Post28.4629.07.2006
550 Erris Rebel31.301943
550 Fealeside Duke31.2826.08.1977
550 Ollies Missy30.7431.07.1986
550 Crossleigh Fudge30.3027.06.1999
550 Tyrur Bello30.1219.07.2002
550 Coolio30.1104.12.2003
550 Tyrur Marita29.8221.05.2004
550 Handy Princess29.7403.03.2007 Champion Bitch Stakes semi-final
575 Tom and Gerry31.7701.08.2007
575 Illtellyouthis31.4308.09.2007
575 Line of Fire31.2603.11.2007
600 Farmhill Prince35.05 1950
700 Rambling Customer41.1217.06.1960
700 Clonmohan Lucy41.1215.07.1960=equalled
700 Moyglare Choice40.4617.12.1999
700 Hello Bud39.2501.08.2001
700 Hello Bud39.2531.07.2002
700 Mustang Kylie39.1623.07.2004
700 Midland Fire39.1020.05.2006
700 Blackjack Baggio39.0224.11.2006
810 Desert Chicken48.801970
810 Skilful Story46.8008.08.1975
810 Deerwood46.6029.07.1985
810 Raheen Treasure45.9530.07.2002
810 Eye Rocket45.8523.07.2004
810 Group Champ45.4430.10.2004
810 Drominboy Jet45.3330.07.2005
810 Iflookscouldkill45.1504.07.2007
325 HLevally Roe19.0013.06.1958
330 HHalsham Playboy19.8003.09.1955
330 HGambling Editor19.751956
525 HBay Moon31.001939
525 HGolsto30.5514.07.1956
525 HGroup Stinger29.6516.09.2000
525 HSlanemore Ivy29.652002
525 HTop Lark29.4804.12.2003
550 HGormans Fancy32.901950