Celtic Park (Belfast)

Last updated

Celtic Park
Páirc na gCeilteach
Paradise
GreaterBelfastTemplate.gif
Red pog.svg
Celtic Park
Location within Greater Belfast
Location Belfast, Northern Ireland
Capacity 5,000 seated, overall 50,000.
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke ground1899
Opened1901
Closed1983
Demolished1986
Tenants
Belfast Celtic
Greyhound Racing

Celtic Park was a multi-use stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was used for football matches and was the home of Belfast Celtic F.C. Throughout the majority of its existence it was a greyhound racing track. The stadium was able to hold 50,000 spectators at its height, with 5,000 of those spectators seated. [1]

Contents

Football

The stadium ceased to host Belfast Celtic matches when the team stopped playing competitive matches in 1949. [1] Like Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland, it was known as "Paradise" by its fans. The football team ran into financial issues and finally dissolved in 1960 but the stadium was then firmly established as a greyhound stadium. [2]

Greyhound Racing

Origins

Two Belfast bookmakers called Joe Shaw and Hugh McAlinden visited to Belle Vue Stadium in 1926 to view the new form of greyhound racing around an oval. They duly formed the National Racing Greyhound Company with the assistance of Paddy O’Donoghue and James Clarke. [3] It was the first greyhound track to open in Ireland on Easter Monday 18 April 1927, and one of the first in the United Kingdom. [4] The company would take control of Ireland's second track Shelbourne Park in 1927. [3]

McAlinden was the chairman of Belfast Celtic and he instigated the lease of the stadium for the racing which would be governed by the Irish Coursing Club, the official regulatory body of greyhound racing in Ireland. On opening night racing consisted of two hurdles races in the six race card and one race ended with a dead heat between Keep Whistling and Imperial Jimmy. [3]

Early history

The first ever winner (not only at Celtic Park but in Ireland) was a greyhound called Mutual Friend (Three Speed x Lazy Peggy) on the Easter Monday; the April 1923 whelp was owned by Jim Tuite of Railway House, Oldcastle, County Meath. [5]

Duneynie Castle claimed the Belfast Telegraph Cup competition in the summer of 1927 and re-opening for a second season in March 1928 patrons were able to purchase a complete form guide of the previous season from all Irish Coursing Club tracks for one shilling. Two months later on 11 May Mick the Miller finished third in the Abercorn Cup final at the track over 526 yards. [2]

A major event introduced in 1926 was the Trigo Cup; William Barnett presented a cup to Celtic Park after his horse Trigo won The Derby and St Leger Stakes. The Trigo Cup would gain classic status some years later in 1944 and second major competition called the McAlevey Gold Cup was inaugurated in 1938. In 1932 and 1943 the track hosted the Irish St Leger one of Ireland's premier races and in July 1946, the first case of a greyhound traveling by air took place. Warrington greyhound Clady Border trained by Ken Newham went from Manchester airport to Belfast to take part in an event at Celtic Park in which he won. [2]

The first Racing Manager at the Track was Jim Rice and after his passing he was honoured by the track hosting the Jim Rice Memorial Trophy. Another competition called the Ulster Sprint Cup was a regular event from 1930 and the Trigo Cup was also known as the Ulster Derby for many years. [2]

Later history

In 1955, Spanish Battleship appeared at the track for his final race in Ireland. The track suffering from a lack of investment and hampered by the troubles in Northern Ireland began to go downhill. However, in 1978 a new board of directors took over, Sean and Brian Graham and Jim Delargy closed the track to allow for refurbishment and Eddie O'Hagan the Racing Manager retired. The changes included an all-sand track from grass. [6] The track finally opened two years later during April 1980. [7]

Closure

Brookmount Properties bought the site for redevelopment and the last meeting was held on 31 October 1983. [8] The site of Celtic Park is now occupied by a shopping centre. [1]

Competitions

Notable track records

Distance
(yards)		GreyhoundTimeDateNotes
375Derryten24 October 1941
375Fair Mistress20.521960
375Every Effort20.371965
375Kirkland Darkie19.941980
525Priceless Border29.541947
525Ballymore Cottage29.381947
525Northern Customer29.141960
525Dillies Pigalle28.861966National record
525Kirkland Darkie [9] 28.79May 1970National record - McAlevey Cup heats
525Jemmy John28.61June 1970National record - Ulster Derby
550Maghereagh Soldier [10] 31.457 June 1935Trigo Cup final
550Maghereagh Soldier31.3515 June 1936Trigo Cup first round
550Strong Mutton31.28June 1936Trigo Cup
550Mazurka30.981950
550Toms Dog30.481965
550Sulky Mac30.381980
600Smartly Fergus33.991945National record
600Itsamint33.341970
600Blissful Pride32.901970
640Bright Brindle37.121978
860Ilene Darling51.551950
375 HSoft Slide21.801935
375 HNeidin's Carnero21.4615 June 1936
525 HMagheragh Major31.071937
525 HNicotiana31.0524 June 1938
550 HNeidens Beautiful32.701970
600 HAnother Circle36.281970

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelbourne Park</span>

Shelbourne Park is a greyhound racing stadium in the south Dublin inner city suburb of Ringsend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Leger (Irish greyhound race)</span> Irish greyhound racing competition

The St Leger is a greyhound racing competition held annually at Limerick Greyhound Stadium at Greenpark, Dock Road, Limerick, Ireland. The competition is an original classic race and was inaugurated in 1932 at Celtic Park in Belfast following the decision by the Irish Coursing Club to issue a new list of classic races.

Dunmore Stadium was a greyhound racing track located in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The Trigo Cup also known as the Ulster Greyhound Derby was a greyhound racing competition held annually at Celtic Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The McAlevey Gold Cup was a greyhound racing competition held annually at Celtic Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was introduced in 1938 for greyhounds bred in Ireland and not over two years of age.

The 1927 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the second year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The 1931 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the sixth year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The total annual attendance across the country for 1931 increased to 17,906,917 from 17,119,120, a fifth consecutive annual increase.

The 1932 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the seventh year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The total annual attendance across the country for 1932 topped 20 Million, increasing to 20,178,260 from 17,906,917, a sixth consecutive annual increase.

The 1933 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the eighth year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The 1937 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 12th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The 1939 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 14th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The 1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 15th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The 1946 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 21st year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The 1947 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 22nd year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The 1953 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 28th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The 1954 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 29th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The 1967 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 41st year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The 1977 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 51st year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The 1984 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 58th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Dungannon Greyhound Stadium or Oaks Park was a greyhound racing track held on Oaks Road, Dungannon, County Tyrone, BT71 4BA, Northern Ireland.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Belfast Celtic". Groundtastic. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Genders, Roy (1975). The Greyhound and Racing Greyhound, page 98-100. Page Brothers (Norwich). ISBN   0-85020-0474.
  3. 1 2 3 Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, page 279-282. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN   07207-1106-1.
  4. ↑ http://greyhoundderby.com/Belfast%20Celtic%20Greyhound%20Stadium.html%5B%5D Greyhound Derby
  5. ↑ Comyn, John. 50 Years of Greyhound Racing in Ireland. Aherlow Publishers Ltd. p. 26.
  6. ↑ Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-15-5.
  7. ↑ "All Those Aprils". Vol. 16, no. 4. Greyhound Star. 4 April 1998.
  8. ↑ Barnes/Sellers, Julia/John (1992). Ladbrokes Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN   0-948955-22-8.
  9. ↑ "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1970) May edition". Greyhound Star.
  10. ↑ "Trigo Cup Final at Celtic Park" . Belfast Telegraph. 8 June 1935. Retrieved 26 November 2023– via British Newspaper Archive.

54°35′21″N5°57′45″W / 54.589099°N 5.962551°W / 54.589099; -5.962551

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.