Antrim Hurling

[Antrim Coaster]

There were 2 club grounds designated as county grounds eligible for upgrading depending on funding - Corrigan Park and Loughgiel.

The Loughgiel club were not consulted about any potential upgrade to their ground.

The former county chairman announced the upgrade of Corrigan without consultation with the club delegates after funding had been sourced.

[Antrim Coaster]

Definitely not St Endas, it is an awful venue.

Poor pitch, poor parking, poor access.

Creggan is no better.

Portglenone I would say is superior to most.

Antrim played Meath in Portglenone before lockdown.

Pitch was in excellent condition.

[Milltown Row2]

Going in circles about venues is melting my brain..

Corrigan got the funding rightly or wrongly, and was debated well enough at the time and most people agreed there there could have been better options, but we are where we are. The pitch is a dam site better than some of the pitches on show at the weekend, using Omagh as an example for starters.

All roads going to Corrigan are handy to get to, motorway on the doorstep, people for some reason feel that there should be adequate parking for 4 thousand people, that's just rubbish. When we went to Casement or Croke, people are parking all over the place, its a City. Walking half a mile to the pitch is normal for county games in most counties..

Been shown that whether we play on a bigger pitch or a tighter pitch makes no difference to our form, we are where we are down to what we have available

Someone was complaining about the wind ffs! There is a constant gale blowing down/around/all over most pitches in the country! Then toilets, how many toilets are available in these other grounds? Go before ya leave

[Antrim Coaster]

Going in circles about venues is melting my brain..

Corrigan got the funding rightly or wrongly, and was debated well enough at the time and most people agreed there there could have been better options, but we are where we are. The pitch is a dam site better than some of the pitches on show at the weekend, using Omagh as an example for starters.

All roads going to Corrigan are handy to get to, motorway on the doorstep, people for some reason feel that there should be adequate parking for 4 thousand people, that's just rubbish. When we went to Casement or Croke, people are parking all over the place, its a City. Walking half a mile to the pitch is normal for county games in most counties..

Been shown that whether we play on a bigger pitch or a tighter pitch makes no difference to our form, we are where we are down to what we have available

Someone was complaining about the wind ffs! There is a constant gale blowing down/around/all over most pitches in the country! Then toilets, how many toilets are available in these other grounds? Go before ya leave

Unfortunately I don't think that was the case.

[Milltown Row2]

Going in circles about venues is melting my brain..

Corrigan got the funding rightly or wrongly, and was debated well enough at the time and most people agreed there there could have been better options, but we are where we are. The pitch is a dam site better than some of the pitches on show at the weekend, using Omagh as an example for starters.

All roads going to Corrigan are handy to get to, motorway on the doorstep, people for some reason feel that there should be adequate parking for 4 thousand people, that's just rubbish. When we went to Casement or Croke, people are parking all over the place, its a City. Walking half a mile to the pitch is normal for county games in most counties..

Been shown that whether we play on a bigger pitch or a tighter pitch makes no difference to our form, we are where we are down to what we have available

Someone was complaining about the wind ffs! There is a constant gale blowing down/around/all over most pitches in the country! Then toilets, how many toilets are available in these other grounds? Go before ya leave

Unfortunately I don't think that was the case.

On here I meant

[johnnycool]

Going in circles about venues is melting my brain..

Corrigan got the funding rightly or wrongly, and was debated well enough at the time and most people agreed there there could have been better options, but we are where we are. The pitch is a dam site better than some of the pitches on show at the weekend, using Omagh as an example for starters.

All roads going to Corrigan are handy to get to, motorway on the doorstep, people for some reason feel that there should be adequate parking for 4 thousand people, that's just rubbish. When we went to Casement or Croke, people are parking all over the place, its a City. Walking half a mile to the pitch is normal for county games in most counties..

Been shown that whether we play on a bigger pitch or a tighter pitch makes no difference to our form, we are where we are down to what we have available

Someone was complaining about the wind ffs! There is a constant gale blowing down/around/all over most pitches in the country! Then toilets, how many toilets are available in these other grounds? Go before ya leave

Unfortunately I don't think that was the case.

The Frankies are circling the wagons on this one Coaster 

Totes most have sent MR out to defend Corrigan with the promise of a big game this year..

[Milltown Row2]

Going in circles about venues is melting my brain..

Corrigan got the funding rightly or wrongly, and was debated well enough at the time and most people agreed there there could have been better options, but we are where we are. The pitch is a dam site better than some of the pitches on show at the weekend, using Omagh as an example for starters.

All roads going to Corrigan are handy to get to, motorway on the doorstep, people for some reason feel that there should be adequate parking for 4 thousand people, that's just rubbish. When we went to Casement or Croke, people are parking all over the place, its a City. Walking half a mile to the pitch is normal for county games in most counties..

Been shown that whether we play on a bigger pitch or a tighter pitch makes no difference to our form, we are where we are down to what we have available

Someone was complaining about the wind ffs! There is a constant gale blowing down/around/all over most pitches in the country! Then toilets, how many toilets are available in these other grounds? Go before ya leave

Unfortunately I don't think that was the case.

The Frankies are circling the wagons on this one Coaster 

Totes most have sent MR out to defend Corrigan with the promise of a big game this year..

Naomh Gall and The Johnnies wouldn't be the BFF's 

[NorthAntrim]

[/quote]

Ballymena would have been excellent. I was at the Camogie final there 2 years ago and you have the parking at the pitch and they had 2 or 3 of those big car parks at the factories on the Woodside Road open as well for cars. Not sure what All Saints own but there's loads of room around it if they could buy some of that land for potential expansions. Obviously, it looks like Casement might happen but if it doesn't I think the time might be to look at other options.
[/quote]


This is possibly the best option aside from Ballycastle. A lot of clubs are on roads not suitable for parking on. I still think that on top of Casement we will need a location capable of hosting elite club games better. Antrim clubs are miles behind funding wise some of the Derry or Tyrone clubs for example

[johnnycool]

Going in circles about venues is melting my brain..

Corrigan got the funding rightly or wrongly, and was debated well enough at the time and most people agreed there there could have been better options, but we are where we are. The pitch is a dam site better than some of the pitches on show at the weekend, using Omagh as an example for starters.

All roads going to Corrigan are handy to get to, motorway on the doorstep, people for some reason feel that there should be adequate parking for 4 thousand people, that's just rubbish. When we went to Casement or Croke, people are parking all over the place, its a City. Walking half a mile to the pitch is normal for county games in most counties..

Been shown that whether we play on a bigger pitch or a tighter pitch makes no difference to our form, we are where we are down to what we have available

Someone was complaining about the wind ffs! There is a constant gale blowing down/around/all over most pitches in the country! Then toilets, how many toilets are available in these other grounds? Go before ya leave

Unfortunately I don't think that was the case.

The Frankies are circling the wagons on this one Coaster 

Totes most have sent MR out to defend Corrigan with the promise of a big game this year..

Naomh Gall and The Johnnies wouldn't be the BFF's 

Reminds me of two brothers who used to play for us, would regularly fight the bit out with each other at training over very little but if one got a bit of a smack in a game from an opponent the other was right in there like Flynn throwing punches.
 

 

[barnish oggie]

Of the list i dont think any of them tick all the boxes - remembering they also didnt get the money pumped into the ground that corrigan has.

Parking to me hosting top div 1 sides is a bigger food for thought as opposed 5 years ago.

Ballycastle to me is the closest to meeting most criteria aside from a covered terrace.

Reason i mention st endas is they have a school nearby to facilitate parking (albeit never been used for a big club fixture)
Secondly they have a natural tiered terrace - why this has never been adapted with rails and proper footing? Would make good viewing.

Portglenone is a great setup but could it host a game against your kilkenny or always come championship? Thinking of crowds?

My point is i believe other grounds could've been adapted to the standard of a good home base to a higher standard than corrigan with less spent on it

Yes, I was suggesting PG1 as somewhere if the money had been given for a terrace/stand it would tick the rest of the boxes.

But then maybe a bit too far for those in Belfast that make the decisions to want to travel too....and no social club to pint in!

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Portglenones pitch is fantastic for the players.A really good surface but its no good for a large crowd to attend.

No parking other than a narrow country road and the pitch plus viewing isnt the best (bar a small bank on the far side). I was at Lgiel v St Johns SHC a few years back and it was really poor to try and view the game.

Great pitch and floodlights but not good enough for viewing.

TBH ballycasle ive found was always the best to stand and watch a county game or county final (where the final should be played).

Corrigan again has a good surface but anyone who was at the county hurling final past will know how hard parking was, trying to find space on the grass bank and then the potential health and safety hazard at the halfway line where the van was parked for the cameras. Anyone who was there will know of the potential of something going wrong with the size of the crowd trying to filter into a narrow path with a two way flow of traffic.

But it is where it is now and we have to deal with the set up we have.

[barnish oggie]

Portglenones pitch is fantastic for the players.A really good surface but its no good for a large crowd to attend.

No parking other than a narrow country road and the pitch plus viewing isnt the best (bar a small bank on the far side). I was at Lgiel v St Johns SHC a few years back and it was really poor to try and view the game.

Great pitch and floodlights but not good enough for viewing.

TBH ballycasle ive found was always the best to stand and watch a county game or county final (where the final should be played).

Corrigan again has a good surface but anyone who was at the county hurling final past will know how hard parking was, trying to find space on the grass bank and then the potential health and safety hazard at the halfway line where the van was parked for the cameras. Anyone who was there will know of the potential of something going wrong with the size of the crowd trying to filter into a narrow path with a two way flow of traffic.

But it is where it is now and we have to deal with the set up we have.

They have a large car park there on 3 sides of the old pitch, so it isn't just the narrow road.

I know the viewing isn't acceptable as it is, but again, my point was the with the money going there they could have had a terrace/stand to add to what they already have.

Or even better, the money could have gone to Tír na nÓg when we were redeveloping anyway and stuck a stand at our pitch!

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Portglenones pitch is fantastic for the players.A really good surface but its no good for a large crowd to attend.

No parking other than a narrow country road and the pitch plus viewing isnt the best (bar a small bank on the far side). I was at Lgiel v St Johns SHC a few years back and it was really poor to try and view the game.

Great pitch and floodlights but not good enough for viewing.

TBH ballycasle ive found was always the best to stand and watch a county game or county final (where the final should be played).

Corrigan again has a good surface but anyone who was at the county hurling final past will know how hard parking was, trying to find space on the grass bank and then the potential health and safety hazard at the halfway line where the van was parked for the cameras. Anyone who was there will know of the potential of something going wrong with the size of the crowd trying to filter into a narrow path with a two way flow of traffic.

But it is where it is now and we have to deal with the set up we have.

They have a large car park there on 3 sides of the old pitch, so it isn't just the narrow road.

I know the viewing isn't acceptable as it is, but again, my point was the with the money going there they could have had a terrace/stand to add to what they already have.

Or even better, the money could have gone to Tír na nÓg when we were redeveloping anyway and stuck a stand at our pitch!

They have a carpark at the rear & side of the old pitch and then ask other cars to filter around the main pitch. Like i say i was at the SHC game a few years back and ended up parked way up the country road. Its not an issue to do this.

My point is that it isnt great for viewing with a large crowd there. Excellent pitch, and club who are very helpful each season im there with teams, but not suited to larger games.

Tir Na nOg again is a good pitch but you'd be getting her tight for a stand on the far side 

If they were to have thought it thought more Ballycastle & Portglenone (hurling/football finals) is where the money should of went to create a covered stand/enhanced terracing etc as an alternative county ground until Casement is done.

But we didnt and we are stuck with Corrigan until Casement is done.

[Saffrongael]

Antrim 1-13 Galway 2-35 FT

You know when they stop updating the scoreboard it's not a good day

[SaffronSports]

Would have smashed them in Ballycastle.