Healy Park facts for kids
Páirc Uí Éilí
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Address | Omagh, County Tyrone |
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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 | 18,500 |
Field size | 142 m × 86 m (466 ft × 282 ft) |
Construction | |
Opened | 1972 |
Renovated | 2001 |
Construction cost | €2 million (2001 renovation) |
Healy Park (Páirc Uí Éilí in Irish) is a famous GAA stadium. It is located in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
This stadium is one of the biggest sports venues in Northern Ireland. It can hold about 18,500 people! Healy Park is the home ground for the Omagh St. Enda's club. It is also where the Tyrone county football team plays its games. Many people think it's one of the best GAA stadiums around.
Contents
History of Healy Park
Healy Park has a cool history, showing how it grew into the amazing stadium it is today.
Starting the Stadium
In 1962, the Omagh St. Enda's club bought a large piece of land. This land was near the Gortin Road in Omagh. By 1968, they had saved enough money to start building their new stadium.
Opening and Dedication
Healy Park officially opened its doors on 17 September 1972. A special ceremony was held by Alf Murray, who used to be the president of the GAA. Later, in 1980, the park was named after Michael Healy. He was an important person in Gaelic football.
Adding New Features
Between 1980 and 1982, new clubrooms and a social centre were built at Healy Park. These additions made the stadium even better. In 1994, terracing was added around three sides of the pitch. This gave more space for fans to stand and watch games.
Modern Upgrades
Big changes happened in 2001. Work began to build a new, all-seated stand with a roof. This stand could hold 5,000 people and opened in 2004.
In 2006, Healy Park made history! It became the first Gaelic football stadium in Ulster to have floodlighting. This meant games could be played at night.
More improvements came in 2007. A modern Press Box and Control Tower were added. These are important for media and for managing events. New changing rooms and facilities for people with disabilities were also installed.
Future Plans
In 2006, Tyrone GAA announced plans for even more upgrades. They wanted to build a second covered stand. They also planned to make the areas behind both goals bigger. This shows how much the stadium continues to grow and improve for its fans.