Nowlan Park
{{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, 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){{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}}{{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 }}{{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}}
| dimensions = 145 x 88 m
|publictransit = Kilkenny railway station
}}
Nowlan Park ({{IPAc-en|'|n|ou|l|@|n}}; {{lang|ga|Páirc Uí Nualláin}}), known for sponsorship reasons as UPMC Nowlan Park, is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Kilkenny, Ireland.{{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 }} Named after James Nowlan, the longest serving President of the GAA, the stadium hosts major hurling matches and is home to the 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){{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 }}{{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 }}
- Paddy Grace Stand (New Stand, Hebron Road) mainly bench-seats (covered)
- Ted Carrol Stand (country end) 4,000 plastic seats (covered){{Cite web|url=http://www.garlandconsultancy.com/our-projects/leisure-and-hotels/nowlan-park,-kilkenny.html|title=Garland | Nowlan Park, Kilkenny | website = garlandconsultancy.com }}
- City Terrace (covered){{Cite web|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=129624|title = Nowlan Park set for further revamp | website = HoganStand.com }}
The target capacity under the Kilkenny GAA 2010-15 plan was 30,000.{{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 }}{{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 }} 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.{{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}}{{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}}
Hurling
History was made at Nowlan Park on 7 June 2014 when Kilkenny versus Offaly was broadcast on Sky Sports, the first time a Championship fixture of any kind was broadcast live to a UK-wide audience.{{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}}{{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 }} British viewers were reported to have been "amazed and confused [...] bemused but impressed [...] amused and confounded" after catching a glimpse of the broadcast.{{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}}{{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}}{{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 }}
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.{{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}} 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, Nowlan Park was used as a drive-through test centre.{{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=The42.ie|first=Sinead|last=Farrell|date=19 March 2020|access-date=19 March 2020}}
Naming rights
It was announced, in October 2019, that the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) had agreed a 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".{{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}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Gaelic games venues}}
{{Kilkenny GAA}}
{{Authority control}}