Thomond Park
| Fortress Thomond | |
View of east stand after redevelopment
|
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| Location | Limerick |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°40′27″N 8°38′33″W / 52.67417°N 8.64250°WCoordinates: 52°40′27″N 8°38′33″W / 52.67417°N 8.64250°W |
| Public transit |
Limerick railway station Ballynanty Road bus stop |
| Owner | Irish Rugby Football Union |
| Capacity | 25,630 (15,100 seated) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Opened | 1940 |
| Tenants | |
|
Munster Rugby Shannon RFC UL Bohemian RFC Limerick FC |
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Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. Limerick FC played home games in Thomond Park from 2013 to 2015 in the League of Ireland while the Markets Field was being redeveloped. The capacity of the stadium is 25,630 following its large scale redevelopment in 2008.
The stadium holds a special place in rugby due to its own unique history and atmosphere. The stadium is famed for its noise during play and the complete silence while home and away players are kicking for goal. Munster also retained an intimidating 12 year unbeaten run at Thomond in the Heineken Cup – running from the competition's start in 1995 until 2007 when the Leicester Tigers broke the streak with a 13–6 win. It is at Thomond park that Munster celebrated their 12–0 victory over the All Blacks in 1978.
Thomond Park (Pháirc Thuamhan in Irish) originally consisted of two pitches, the main pitch and a training pitch. The main pitch was bounded on all sides by terracing with a stand located above the west terrace. The training pitch was located behind the west stand with the Shannon R.F.C. pavilion located in the southwest corner of the ground. The UL Bohemian R.F.C. pavilion was located within the west stand.
Traditionally, the former terracing and four sides of the pitch had local nicknames, however they have since fallen out of local parlance. The most famous of these was the east terrace which was known among fans as the "Popular side", this sat opposite the "Stand side", joining the "City End" (South Terrace) with the "Ballynanty End" (North Terrace). The "Popular side" gained notoriety in local rugby folklore for the colourful comments that can be heard emanating from local wags and alicadoos in the direction of the pitch, occasionally drawing reaction from players and officials, to the amusement of other attendants.
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