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Páirc Uí Rinn (), also known as Páirc Chríostóir Uí Rinn, is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium located between Ballinlough and Ballintemple in Cork. It was previously known as Flower Lodge and was used as an association football stadium. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Flower Lodge served as the home ground of three
League of Ireland The League of Ireland is a national association football Sports league, league consisting of professional clubs in the Republic of Ireland and Derry, Derry City in Northern Ireland. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland. It was ...
clubs – Cork Hibernians, Albert Rovers and
Cork City Cork ( ; from , meaning 'marsh') is the second-largest city in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the county town of County Cork, the largest city in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the List of settlements on the island of Ireland ...
. It also hosted friendly matches featuring
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
,
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
and the
Republic of Ireland national football team The Republic of Ireland Men's national football team () represents the Republic of Ireland in men's international Association football, football. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). The team made their debut at the Ir ...
. In 1989 it was purchased by
Cork GAA The Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) () or Cork GAA is one of the 32 County board (Gaelic games), county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Cork and the Cork county teams. It ...
and subsequently renamed after Christy Ring, a former Cork and Glen Rovers hurler. During the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, Páirc Uí Rinn has served as Cork GAA's second home after
Páirc Uí Chaoimh Páirc Uí Chaoimh ( ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Cork, Ireland. Often referred to simply as "The Park", it is the home of Cork GAA and is located in Ballintemple, near the site of the original Cork Athletic Grounds. In February 2024, follo ...
. It regularly hosts
National Hurling League The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
,
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
, National Camogie League and All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship fixtures.


History


Early years

In 1947 members of AOH F.C., the association football club of the Ancient Order of Hibernians which later became Cork Hibernians, formed a committee to acquire a ground for the club. The AOH subsequently purchased 11.5 acres at Flower Lodge, a local big house, for £5,800. To further raise funds to develop the ground, the committee also organised
lotteries A lottery (or lotto) is a form of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers at random for a prize. Some governments outlaw lotteries, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find som ...
and
football pools In the United Kingdom, the football pools, often referred to as "the pools", is a betting pool based on predicting the outcome of association football matches taking place in the coming week. The pools are typically cheap to enter, and may enc ...
and held fundraising dances at Cork City Hall featuring, among others,
Joe Loss Joshua Alexander "Joe" Loss (22 June 1909 – 6 June 1990) was a British dance band leader and musician who founded his own eponymous orchestra. Life Loss was born in Spitalfields, London, the youngest of four children. His parents, Israel an ...
and Victor Silvester. An English grounds expert was employed, a Cork firm undertook the work of laying the pitch and an elaborate drainage system was also installed. The first competitive game at the ground was played in February 1957 when
Sligo Rovers Sligo Rovers Football Club is an Irish professional association football, football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club is based in Sligo in the west of Ireland. The club was founded in 1928 and have been in ...
defeated AOH F.C. 1–0 in a 1956–57
FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Sports Direct FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as D ...
first-round game.


League of Ireland era

AOH F.C. changed their name to Cork Hibernians and joined the
League of Ireland The League of Ireland is a national association football Sports league, league consisting of professional clubs in the Republic of Ireland and Derry, Derry City in Northern Ireland. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland. It was ...
for the 1957–58 season. They initially played their League of Ireland games at The Mardyke before moving to Flower Lodge for the 1962–63 season. They continued to play at Flower Lodge until they withdrew from the league at the end of the 1975–76 season. During this era Cork Hibernians were 1970–71 League of Ireland champions. Flower Lodge hosted several European games featuring Cork Hibernians, including in a 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup game against
Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
and a 1973–74 European Cup Winners' Cup game against Baník Ostrava. Cork Hibernians also won the 1972–73
FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Sports Direct FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as D ...
after defeating Shelbourne 1–0 in a replayed final at the Flower Lodge. In 1973–74 Flower Lodge also hosted the LFA President's Cup final which saw Cork Hibernians lose 2–0 to
Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
. On 28 December 1975 Cork Celtic also staged one significant 1975–76 League of Ireland home game against Drogheda United at Flower Lodge. The occasion marked the League of Ireland debut of
George Best George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional association football, footballer who played as a winger (association football), winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United F.C., Manchester Un ...
. In expectation of a big crowd, Cork Celtic moved the game from their regular home ground, Turners Cross, to the much larger Flower Lodge. An estimated 12,500 fans turned out, with Celtic receiving over £6,000 in gate receipts. Three other Cork clubs who played in the League of Ireland also played home games at Flower Lodge. When Albert Rovers replaced Cork Hibernians in the League of Ireland, they also replaced them as tenants at Flower Lodge. They continued playing there from
1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
until
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
, playing under the names Cork Albert and Cork Alberts. In their 1982–83 FAI Cup semi-final four match marathon encounter with
Sligo Rovers Sligo Rovers Football Club is an Irish professional association football, football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club is based in Sligo in the west of Ireland. The club was founded in 1928 and have been in ...
, Cobh Ramblers played their two home ties at Flower Lodge. When
Cork City Cork ( ; from , meaning 'marsh') is the second-largest city in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the county town of County Cork, the largest city in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the List of settlements on the island of Ireland ...
joined the League of Ireland they spent their first two seasons, 1984–85 and 1985–86, playing at Flower Lodge. The last game Cork City played at Flower Lodge was a 1985–86 FAI Cup semi-final tie against Shamrock Rovers.


Friendlies and internationals

During the Big Freeze of 1963 when fixtures in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
were cancelled due to poor weather conditions,
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
,
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
,
Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
and
Wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...
played a series of friendlies at Flower Lodge. In one such game Johnny Giles scored as Manchester United defeated Bolton Wanderers 2–0. In the same game Paddy Crerand made his United debut. On 14 May 1965 Flower Lodge hosted a match between the League of Ireland XI and the Irish League XI which the latter team won 1–0. The
Republic of Ireland national football team The Republic of Ireland Men's national football team () represents the Republic of Ireland in men's international Association football, football. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). The team made their debut at the Ir ...
also played at Flower Lodge. On 26 May 1985 they drew 0–0 in a friendly with
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. The game was part of the Cork 800 celebrations. Also as part of the Cork 800 celebrations the Republic of Ireland women's national football team played a 1987 Euro qualifier against
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
at Flower Lodge on 22 September 1985. The visitors won 6–0. On 18 August 1986 a Republic of Ireland XI also played
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
at Flower Lodge. This match was originally scheduled to take place in 1985 as part of Cork 800 celebrations but was rescheduled because of the post-
Heysel Stadium disaster The Heysel Stadium disaster ( ; ; ) was a crowd disaster on 29 May 1985, when Juventus fans were escaping from an attack by Liverpool fans while they were pressed against a wall in the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, before the start of ...
ban. Jan Mølby and Kevin MacDonald scored for Liverpool as they won 2–1.


Cork GAA

In 1989, Flower Lodge was purchased by
Cork GAA The Cork County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) () or Cork GAA is one of the 32 County board (Gaelic games), county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Cork and the Cork county teams. It ...
from the Ancient Order of Hibernians for a figure estimated to be between £240,000 and £260,000. The GAA used the money from the two 1989 Michael Jackson concerts at
Páirc Uí Chaoimh Páirc Uí Chaoimh ( ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Cork, Ireland. Often referred to simply as "The Park", it is the home of Cork GAA and is located in Ballintemple, near the site of the original Cork Athletic Grounds. In February 2024, follo ...
to complete the purchase. Cork GAA faced a rival bid from Cork City F.C. and during the complex bidding process, they remained anonymous, using three sets of solicitors and making two bids. Cork GAA subsequently renamed the ground ''Páirc Uí Rinn'' in honour of Christy Ring, a former Cork and Glen Rovers hurler. It took four years for the Cork GAA to redevelop Páirc Uí Rinn, costing close to £1 million. On 23 May 1993 it was officially re-opened by GAA president, Peter Quinn. The occasion was marked by two challenge games – a
hurling Hurling (, ') is an outdoor Team sport, team game of ancient Gaelic culture, Gaelic Irish origin, played by men and women. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goa ...
match between Cork and
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and a
Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...
match between Cork and Meath.
Floodlights A floodlight is a broad-beamed, gas discharge lamp#High-intensity discharge lamps, high-intensity artificial light. It can provide functional area lighting for travel-ways, parking, entrances, work areas, and sporting venues to enable visibil ...
were added a decade later and the first time they were used was on 1 February 2003 when Cork played Kerry in a 2003 National Football League game. During the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s Páirc Uí Rinn has served as Cork GAA's second home after Páirc Uí Chaoimh. It regularly hosts
National Hurling League The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
,
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
, National Camogie League and All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship fixtures. Páirc Uí Rinn has only occasionally hosted Senior Championship level hurling and Gaelic football matches. In
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
it hosted a
Munster Senior Football Championship The Munster Senior Football Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship and shortened to Munster SFC, is an annual inter-county Gaelic football competition organised by the Munster GAA, Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Associatio ...
semi-final between Cork and
Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
. However it had to wait until 2015 to host its second. During 2015 and 2016, while Páirc Uí Chaoimh was being redeveloped, Páirc Uí Rinn hosted further Senior Championship level games. To bring Páirc Uí Rinn up to Senior Championship level standard the ground was refurbished in early 2015. This included moving 1,500 seats from Páirc Uí Chaoimh to the Páirc Uí Rinn main covered stand. During the 2015 Munster Senior Football Championship it hosted a semi-final between Cork and Clare. In
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
it hosted an All-Ireland hurling qualifier between Cork and
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
.


Capacity

During the 1971–72 League of Ireland season it has been estimated that a crowd of up to 26,000 attended a match between Cork Hibernians and
Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
. The current capacity is approximately 16,440. The main covered stand has a capacity of 5,200. The uncovered stand can hold 2,800. The two terraces hold 6,200 and 2,200 and the wheelchair area can accommodate forty people.


See also

* List of Gaelic Athletic Association stadiums * List of association football venues in the Republic of Ireland * List of stadiums in Ireland by capacity


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pairc Ui Rinn Cork GAA venues Sports venues completed in 1957 1957 establishments in Ireland Association football venues in Cork (city)