Nowlan Park

2025-05-18T16:43:58Z

2001:BB6:2968:2258:8935:522A:68B7:A543: /* Other uses */

{{Short description|Stadium in Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Nowlan Park
| fullname = UPMC Nowlan Park
| nickname = {{lang|ga|Páirc Uí Nualláin}}
| image = Nowlan Park - geograph.org.uk - 555264 (cropped).jpg
| location = O'Loughlin Road, [[Kilkenny]], [[County Kilkenny]], R95 WN66, [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]
| coordinates = {{coord|52|39|23|N|7|14|22|W |region:IE_type:landmark |display=inline,title}}
| owner = [[Kilkenny GAA]]
| capacity = 27,000 (18,000 seated)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hoganstand.com/type/hurling/article/index/255408 | title=Nowlan Park capacity to be 'capped' | publisher=hoganstand.com | date=20 May 2016 | access-date=20 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/leinster-sfc-ticket-sales-slow-for-dublin-trip-to-kilkenny-1.2669277|title = Leinster SFC: Ticket sales slow for Dublin trip to Kilkenny| newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] }}</ref><ref name="Capacity">{{cite web |title=Rated and slated: All 32 GAA county grounds assessed – but how does yours measure up? |url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/rated-and-slated-all-32-gaa-county-grounds-assessed-but-how-does-yours-measure-up-40322039.html |website=Irish Independent |access-date=23 May 2021}}</ref>
| dimensions = 145 x 88 m
|publictransit = [[Kilkenny railway station]]
}}
'''Nowlan Park''' ({{IPAc-en|'|n|ou|l|@|n}}; {{lang|ga|Páirc Uí Nualláin}}), known for [[naming rights|sponsorship reasons]] as '''UPMC Nowlan Park''', is the principal [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] stadium in [[Kilkenny]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.irishtimes.com/kilkenny-hurling/ | newspaper=The Irish Times | title=Kilkenny Hurling | first=Tom | last=Humphries | access-date=20 February 2020 | archive-date=24 October 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024101727/http://www.irishtimes.com/kilkenny-hurling/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> Named after [[James Nowlan]], the longest serving [[President of the Gaelic Athletic Association|President of the GAA]], the stadium hosts major [[hurling]] matches and is home to the [[Kilkenny GAA|Kilkenny]] hurling team. It opened in 1927, replacing St. James Park.

==Facilities==
The stadium consists of the following stands:
*Old Stand (O'Loughlin Road) mainly bench-seats (uncovered, planning for a new roof submitted after storm damaged the old roof in 2014) (The new roof completed in late 2014 and opened in early 2015)<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.hoganstand.com/kilkenny/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=210537 | website = hoganstand.com | title = Nowlan Park must wait for new roof | date = 27 February 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/sport/proud-kilkenny-s-nowlan-park-now-stands-among-the-best-grounds-in-the-country-1-2173328 |title=Proud Kilkenny's Nowlan Park now stands among the best grounds in the country – Kilkenny People |access-date=2014-11-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102200452/http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/sport/proud-kilkenny-s-nowlan-park-now-stands-among-the-best-grounds-in-the-country-1-2173328 |archive-date=2014-11-02 }}</ref>
*Paddy Grace Stand (New Stand, Hebron Road) mainly bench-seats (covered)
*Ted Carrol Stand (country end) 4,000 plastic seats (covered)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.garlandconsultancy.com/our-projects/leisure-and-hotels/nowlan-park,-kilkenny.html|title=Garland | Nowlan Park, Kilkenny | website = garlandconsultancy.com }}</ref>
*City Terrace (covered)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=129624|title = Nowlan Park set for further revamp | website = HoganStand.com }}</ref>
The target capacity under the Kilkenny GAA 2010-15 plan was 30,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.crokepark.ie/getmedia/b0f1b5d7-719d-4b8f-9576-b542f7fdcf25/Kilkenny-Strategic-Plan-2010-2015.pdf |title=Kilkenny Strategic Plan 2010-2015 | website = crokepark.ie |access-date=2014-11-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716181705/http://crokepark.ie/getmedia/b0f1b5d7-719d-4b8f-9576-b542f7fdcf25/Kilkenny-Strategic-Plan-2010-2015.pdf |archive-date=2014-07-16 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/sport/proud-kilkenny-s-nowlan-park-now-stands-among-the-best-grounds-in-the-country-1-2173328 |title=Proud Kilkenny's Nowlan Park now stands among the best grounds in the country – Kilkenny People |access-date=2014-11-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102200452/http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/sport/proud-kilkenny-s-nowlan-park-now-stands-among-the-best-grounds-in-the-country-1-2173328 |archive-date=2014-11-02 }}</ref> A large portion of the Old Stand's roof was blown off during a violent storm on 12 February 2014. The rest was removed for health and safety reasons.<ref>{{cite news|first=John|last=Knox|url=http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/kilkenny-news/nowlan-park-roof-damaged-1-5873702|title=Nowlan Park roof damaged|work=Kilkenny People|date=13 February 2014|access-date=13 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=John|last=Fogarty|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/hurling/sky-sports-gaa-debut-to-feature-kilkennys-roofless-stand-264945.html|title=Sky Sports' GAA debut to feature Kilkenny's roofless stand|work=Irish Examiner|date=10 April 2014|access-date=10 April 2014}}</ref>

==Hurling==
History was made at Nowlan Park on 7 June 2014 when Kilkenny versus [[Offaly GAA|Offaly]] was broadcast on [[Sky Sports]], the first time a [[2014 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship|Championship fixture of any kind]] was broadcast live to a UK-wide audience.<ref>{{cite news|first=Seán|last=Moran|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/kilkenny-aiming-to-put-on-a-show-for-new-sky-audience-1.1823632|title=Kilkenny aiming to put on a show for new Sky audience: Daunting task facing Brian Whelehan's Offaly at Nowlan Park|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=7 June 2014|access-date=7 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://gaabanter.ie/5-ways-uk-will-react-hurling-sky-sports/ |title=5 Ways the UK will React to Hurling on Sky Sports |work=Hon the Banter |date=2 June 2014 |access-date=2 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625143851/http://gaabanter.ie/5-ways-uk-will-react-hurling-sky-sports/ |archive-date=25 June 2014 }}</ref> British viewers were reported to have been "amazed and confused [...] bemused but impressed [...] amused and confounded" after catching a glimpse of the broadcast.<ref>{{cite news|first=Kevin|last=O'Brien|url=http://www.livegaelic.com/features/definative-guide-british-reaction-hurling/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713160506/http://livegaelic.com/features/definative-guide-british-reaction-hurling/|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2014|title=The Definitive Guide to the British Reaction to Hurling|work=Live Gaelic|date=8 June 2014|access-date=8 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/captivated-but-confused-british-twitter-users-react-to-hurling-on-sky-sports-30337841.html|title=Captivated but confused... British twitter users react to hurling on Sky Sports|work=Sunday Independent|date=8 June 2014|access-date=8 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thescore.ie/11-british-based-tweeters-hurling-sky-sports-1505468-Jun2014/ |title=11 British-based tweeters who can't believe that hurling is a thing |work=The Score |date=8 June 2014 |access-date=8 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140610133549/http://www.thescore.ie/11-british-based-tweeters-hurling-sky-sports-1505468-Jun2014/ |archive-date=10 June 2014 }}</ref>

==Other uses==

Nowlan Park also serves as a concert venue, with festivals featuring performers such as [[Andrea Bocelli]], [[Rod Stewart]], [[Bob Dylan]], [[Neil Young]], [[Paul Simon]], [[Bryan Ferry]], [[James Taylor]], [[Shania Twain]], [[Dolly Parton]], and in July 2013 it played host to the European tour finale of [[Bruce Springsteen]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/ten/2013/0131/springsteenb.html|title=Two Kilkenny dates for Bruce Springsteen|work=RTÉ Ten|date=31 January 2013|access-date=31 January 2013}}</ref> Springsteen performed at the venue again on 12 May 2024 as part of the [[Springsteen and E Street Band 2023 Tour]].

Nowlan Park was also included in Ireland's bid to host the [[2023 Rugby World Cup]].{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland|COVID-19 pandemic]], Nowlan Park was used as a drive-through test centre.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/nowlan-park-covid-19-testing-centre-5051775-Mar2020/|title=Kilkenny GAA's Nowlan Park will be used as drive-thru testing facility for Covid-19|website=[[TheJournal.ie#The42.ie|The42.ie]]|first=Sinead|last=Farrell|date=19 March 2020|access-date=19 March 2020}}</ref>

==Naming rights==
It was announced, in October 2019, that the [[University of Pittsburgh Medical Center]] (UPMC) had agreed a [[Naming rights|naming-rights deal]] with the Kilkenny County Board. Running for 10 years, from 2019, the sponsorship deal involved the rebranding of the ground to "UPMC Nowlan Park".<ref>{{cite web|title=Sponsors name announced for Nowlan Park|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/County/Kilkenny/Article/Index/305019|website=Hogan Stand|access-date=16 April 2023|date=18 October 2019}}</ref>

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

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Gaelic games venues}}
{{Kilkenny GAA}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gaelic games grounds in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Kilkenny GAA]]
[[Category:Sports venues in County Kilkenny]]

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Nowlan Park