Markets Field

Markets Field was first used as a sporting venue in 1886. A Limerick Chronicle newspaper from that time reported that the Irish Cycling Association and the Gaelic Athletic Association paid £8 per day for the use of the Markets Field over three consecutive weekends.^[8][1] The first Gaelic games held at the ground took place on 19 September 1886.^[8] The venue later hosted its first Limerick County Hurling Championship final on 22 November 1896, which was played between Caherline and Ballingarry. The county final remained at the Markets Field, with the exception of 1916 and 1919, until the late 1920s when the finals were moved to the Gaelic Grounds.^[8] Tournament games continued to be played in the Markets Field up to 1932.^[8] It was also the site of Munster championship games in both hurling and Gaelic football, with most of the All-Ireland semi-finals between Munster and Connacht teams taking place there in the 1900s. The ground was also used by Young Irelands GAA club for training and matches.

It was also the home of Garryowen from 1886 until 1957,^[9] when the club moved to new facilities in Dooradoyle.^[10] The Markets Field hosted the first meeting of the two oldest rugby clubs in the Munster Senior Cup, Garryowen and Cork Constitution, in 1900.^[11] The ground was also chosen to host the first All-Blacks rugby match against Munster in 1905.^[12]

Until 2010, the stadium hosted greyhound racing, when Limerick Greyhound Stadium opened in the south-west of the city.^[13]

Limerick F.C. was formed in 1937 and Markets Field became the association football club's home ground.^[8] In 1962, Markets Field hosted a friendly match between Limerick and Liverpool F.C. which the visitors won 3–5.^[14][15] The stadium hosted European football for the first time in 1981, when Southampton F.C. beat Limerick 0–3 in the 1981–82 UEFA Cup.^[16][17] The following season, Markets Field was the setting for Limerick's 1–1 draw with Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the 1982–83 European Cup Winners' Cup.^[16][18]

Limerick F.C. departed Markets Field for Hogan Park in April 1984.^[16] Discussions were held with the stadium owners, Bord na gCon (the Irish Greyhound Board), in 2009 about Limerick F.C. returning to Markets Field, who were by then playing in Jackman Park.^[19] After the Irish Greyhound Board also vacated in 2010, the future of the ground was left in doubt.^[20]

The refurbished Main Stand holds 1,340 spectators for the home supporters and contains a corporate box.^[2][12] The new tunnel and dressing rooms are under the Main Stand and there are three turnstiles named after Limerick football legends.^{[citation needed]} Away supporters are housed in a demountable stand with 300 seats behind the Geraldine Villas goal and enter through a gate at this end.^[30][12] In November 2022, a row of seats in the demountable stand collapsed during the 2022 First Division play-off final between Galway United and Waterford F.C., bringing the game to a halt in order to evacuate the stand.^[31] As of February 2025, this stand remains closed to supporters.^[32] The Popular side and the Cathedral End are both banked standing areas,^[20] with the former behind the dugouts and the latter housing the scoreboard. In 2016 the playing surface won the FAI Pitch of the Year Award.^[33] The ground itself has no car parking.^[34]

The Limerick Greyhound Company was formed in 1933 but it was not until 1937 when racing began. The first directors were T.F.Ryan and J.P. Frost.^[35] The 465-yard circuit came to prominence in 1939 when it was selected by the Irish Coursing Club to hold the Irish Greyhound Derby for first and only time. The event was won by Marchin' Thro' Georgia who won the final in a new track record time of 30.05.^[36][37]

The track hosted the classic race the Irish St Leger in 1940 before it moved permanently to Limerick in 1944. The track also staged the Irish Oaks in 1942. The allocation of the 1943 Grand National did not help because due to the lack of hurdlers during the war Mr Ryan the chairman of Limerick Stadium was left with no choice but to cancel the event.^[35] Other events that took place at Limerick were the Bulger Cup and Kennedy Memorial Cup and J. P. McManus started as a bookmaker at the track and earned the nickname 'Sundance Kid'.^[38]

In 1958 the Irish Greyhound Board was given the responsibility of all tracks in Ireland with the exception of the Ulster tracks, that would remain under the jurisdiction of the Irish Coursing Club.^[39] They installed a new totalisator system in 1960 as improvements became commonplace under the new ownership, including a new stand costing over £60,000. Brendan O’Connell was Racing Manager for over thirty years from 1966.^[35]

The track closed in 2009 with the entire operation moving to the newly built Limerick Greyhound Stadium at Greenpark.^[40] Racing Manager Gus Ryan retired after 42 years in racing.^[41]