Healy Park facts for kids
|
Páirc Uí hEilí
|
|
 |
|
 O'Neills Healy Park
Location in Northern Ireland
|
|
| Address | Omagh, County Tyrone BT79 7HX |
|---|---|
| Location | Northern Ireland |
| Coordinates | 54°36′50″N 7°17′46″W / 54.61389°N 7.29611°W |
| Public transit | Omagh Ulsterbus depot |
| Owner | Omagh St. Enda's |
| Capacity | 17,636 |
| Field size | 147 m × 88 m (482 ft × 289 ft) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1972 |
| Renovated | 2001 |
| Construction cost | €2 million (2001 renovation) |
| Tenants | |
| Tyrone county football team | |
Healy Park is a big sports stadium in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is named after Michael Healy, a person important to the GAA club in Omagh. The GAA is an organization that promotes traditional Irish sports like Gaelic football.
This stadium is the home ground for two teams. It hosts games for Omagh St. Enda's, a local club. It is also where the Tyrone county football team plays its home matches.
Healy Park is located on the Gortin Road, not far from the town centre. It is one of the largest stadiums in Northern Ireland. It can hold about 17,636 people for games.
Contents
Stadium History
Building Healy Park
In 1962, the Omagh St. Enda's club bought a large piece of land. They paid £1,300 for 13 acres near the Gortin Road. By 1968, they had saved enough money to start building a new stadium.
Construction began in the middle of 1968. Workers removed a lot of soil and bog. They replaced it with tons of gravel, stones, and topsoil. A special drainage system was also put in place. The grass field was planted in 1969.
Opening and Renaming
The stadium, first called New Park, opened on September 17, 1972. Alf Murray, who was the President of the GAA at the time, officially opened it.
On October 19, 1980, the park was renamed Healy Park. This was done to remember Michael Healy, a key person from the Omagh GAA club.
New Facilities and Upgrades
Between 1980 and 1982, new clubrooms and a social centre were built. These additions made Healy Park even better. In 1994, seating areas called terracing were added around three sides of the pitch.
In September 2001, work started on a new main stand. This stand was designed to have 5,000 seats and a roof. It was finished and opened in 2004.
Modern Improvements
Healy Park made history in April 2006. It became the first Gaelic football stadium in Ulster to have floodlights. This meant games could be played at night.
In December 2006, Tyrone GAA announced big plans. They wanted to spend £5 million to make the stadium even better. These plans included a second covered stand and a new control tower. They also planned a press box and new changing rooms.
The press box and control tower were finished in October 2007. New changing rooms and facilities for people with disabilities were also added. However, the plan for the second covered stand has not happened yet.
Pitch Refurbishment Plans
In January 2020, Tyrone GAA announced a major project. They planned to spend over £1 million to fix up the pitch at Healy Park. This work was supposed to start in May 2020. It would have closed the stadium for a year.
However, this project did not go ahead. The COVID-19 pandemic started, causing delays and changes to many plans.
New Floodlighting System
In September 2023, Healy Park got a brand new floodlighting system. Tyrone GAA spent £280,000 on this upgrade. The old halogen lamps were replaced with energy-efficient LED lights. This new system was first used during a Tyrone Senior Football Championship game.
More to Explore
- List of Gaelic Athletic Association stadiums
- List of stadiums in Ireland by capacity
Images for kids
-
Healy Park seen from the Rylagh Road
-
Healy Park club house
-
Healy Park Entrance
