Gaelic Park ( ga, Páirc na nGael) is a multi-purpose outdoor athletics facility, located at West 240th Street and

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

Riverdale, Bronx Riverdale is a residential neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the New York City borough of the Bronx. Riverdale, which had a population of 47,850 as of the 2000 United States Census, contains the city's northernmost point, at the Coll ...

, in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Since 1926 the grounds has been used as the venue for

Gaelic games Gaelic games ( ga, Cluichí Gaelacha) are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling ...

in New York, and since its purchase by

Manhattan College Manhattan College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university in the Bronx, New York City. Originally established in 1853 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Christian Brothers) as an academy for day students, it was la ...

in 1991 it has hosted numerous American college athletic events. Located just west of Broadway and south and west of

Van Cortlandt Park Van Cortlandt Park is a park located in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, it is managed with assistance from the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. The park, the city's third-lar ...

in the northernmost part of

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

just south of the city border with

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

, Gaelic Park was purchased in 1926 by the Gaelic Athletic Association of Greater New York. It has been given a few different names over time including Innisfail Park, but since the 1950s it has gone by its current name, Gaelic Park, a reflection of the park's decidedly Irish flavor. The park includes a playing field and dance hall. In addition to hurling and football matches, a number of other sporting events take place at Gaelic Park. There are also concerts and dances that feature Irish music both old and new. Gaelic Park IMG 7392 HLG

History

Gaelic Park was bought by the Gaelic Athletic Association of Greater New York (GAA) in 1926. It started off as a very rough pitch that served as a social center for the many Irish immigrants to

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

. With the absence of film centers and other entertainment complexes,

hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...

at the park was the main entertainment. The GAA ran the park for about 10 years until it was forced into bankruptcy, after which the city took over the land. The property was then leased again in 1941 to John "Kerry" O’Donnell, who with the help of his family and friends ran the park, dance hall, and tavern. For several years, it was called "Croke Park" after the main GAA stadium in Dublin.

The Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...

performed in Gaelic Park on August 26, 1971, to a crowd of 15,000 fans. It would be the last time the band would perform in their original quintet configuration of Jerry, Phil, Pig, Billy and Bobby. The park was taken over by

in 1991. The college has kept up the traditions of Gaelic Park, as well as doing some significant renovations, and now also uses it for home games of lacrosse, rugby, soccer, and softball. In early 2007, a $3 million renovation of Gaelic Park began. FieldTurf was laid out to replace the natural pitch, which made it more durable for both American and Gaelic sports. In addition, facilities for softball were improved, and the installation of stadium lighting made night games possible. In April 2019, the banquet hall of Gaelic Park was torn down and replaced with support from the GAA, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, and other donations and sponsors. New York did not compete in the 2020 and 2021

Connacht Senior Football Championship The Connacht Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition for the senior county teams of Connacht GAA. All of the counties of Connacht participate in the championship, as well as counties London and New York. The winning ...

(a precursor to the 2020 and 2021 Senior All Ireland Football Championships) due to

Covid-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

travel restrictions, but return to competition in 2022 with a first round home game at Gaelic Park against Sligo on Sunday 17 April.

Rugby

References

External links

Gaelic Park
{{Gaelic games venues 1926 establishments in New York City College football venues College lacrosse venues in the United States College soccer venues in the United States College softball venues in the United States Gaelic games grounds Irish-American culture in New York City Lacrosse venues in New York City Major League Rugby stadiums Manhattan Jaspers football New York GAA Riverdale, Bronx Rugby union stadiums in New York City Rugby New York stadiums Soccer venues in New York City Softball venues in New York City Sports venues completed in 1926 Sports venues in the Bronx

History

Rugby

See also

References

External links