The Wallace Park in

Lisburn Lisburn ( ; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with t ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

was bequeathed to the people of Lisburn by

Sir Richard Wallace Sir Richard Wallace, 1st Baronet (21 June 1818 – 20 July 1890) was a British Aristocracy (class), aristocrat, art collector and Francophile. Based on the Return of Owners of Land, 1873, Return of Owners of Land 1873, he was the 24th richest m ...

. There are a number of football pitches, tennis courts, a duck pond and a children's adventure play area. The grounds of

Lisburn Cricket Club Lisburn Cricket Club is a cricket club in Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, playing in the Premier League of the NCU Senior League. Established in 1836, the club is the oldest in Northern Ireland. It is also one of the most successful, h ...

are in the centre of the park where Cecil Walker MBE is the groundsman. A

velodrome A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...

was opened in 1953, but this fell into disrepair. The removal of one of the bankings was proposed as part of the park's redevelopment plan in 2008, to open up views in the park. The park has had a major overhaul with major landscaping and modernisation completed in 2011. Three members of the world famous Irish band, the Shamrock Tenors, Matt Good, Jack Walsh, and Raymond Walsh, all attended the nearby

Friends' School, Lisburn Friends' School, Lisburn is a Quaker voluntary grammar school in the city of Lisburn, Northern Ireland, founded in 1774. History Friends’ School Lisburn was founded – as The Ulster Provincial School – on the basis of a bequest in 1764 of ...

. The band cite the park as an important element to their development as musicians, inspiring them to think "beyond the bandstand toward a greener future". It is rumoured that the band return to the park once a year to play a discreet gig to the local skateboarding community.

References

Lisburn Sport in Lisburn Parks in County Antrim Register of Parks, Gardens and Demesnes of Special Historic Interest Sports venues in County Antrim {{NorthernIreland-sports-venue-stub