Donnybrook Stadium

Last updated

Donnybrook Stadium
Energia Park
Newly Completed Stand, Leinster Rugby Ground Donnybrook.jpg
The new grandstand, shortly after completion, in February 2008
Dublin map.png
Red pog.svg
Donnybrook Stadium
Location within Dublin
Location Donnybrook, Dublin
Coordinates 53°19′15.00″N6°14′00.00″W / 53.3208333°N 6.2333333°W / 53.3208333; -6.2333333 Coordinates: 53°19′15.00″N6°14′00.00″W / 53.3208333°N 6.2333333°W / 53.3208333; -6.2333333
Owner Irish Rugby Football Union
Capacity 6,000 [1]
Surface Synthetic grass [2]
Construction
Opened1964
Renovated2008
Tenants
Bective Rangers RFC, Old Wesley RFC, Ireland Women (2016–present) [2] [3]
Ireland national U20 rugby (2015–2018)
Ireland A rugby (1993–2005)
Leinster A
Leinster (1964–2007)

Donnybrook Stadium, known for sponsorship reasons as Energia Park, is a rugby union stadium in Donnybrook, Dublin 4, Ireland. The stadium has a capacity of 6,000, [3] including a 2,500 seat covered grandstand which was completed in early 2008. [1] [4]

Contents

History

The stadium, also sometimes known as Donnybrook Rugby Ground, [5] is located on the former fair green used for the Donnybrook Fair until the mid-1850s. [6] Used for games by Bective Rangers and Old Wesley since at least the early 20th century, [7] [8] the ground was also the home stadium of Leinster Rugby - until they moved competitive games to the nearby RDS Arena in 2007. [9]

In March 2018 Energia began a sponsorship deal, to rename the stadium as Energia Park for 10 years. [10] [11]

Rugby union

Primarily used for rugby union, Old Wesley and Bective Rangers are two local clubs who play their home games in Donnybrook. [3]

Leinster Rugby also still play some friendly games in Donnybrook, with Ireland A, Ireland Women's Team and Leinster underage sides playing home games in the stadium. [12] [13] Between 2015 and 2018, it hosted the Ireland under-20s home matches in the Six Nations Under 20s Championship. [9] Since 2016, it has hosted the Ireland women's team's home matches in the Women's Six Nations Championship. [9] [14]

The stadium is also the principal venue for competitions organised by the Leinster Branch and competitions at all levels from under 13 to junior and senior adult level are played at the ground. This includes games in the Leinster Schools Senior and Junior Cups, and it hosts several games in each competition each year. [15]

Ireland Uncapped International Matches
DateHomeScoreOpponentCompetitionAttendance
19 March 1993IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 18–22Flag of England.svg  England A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship
4 February 1994IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 10–20Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship
20 January 1995IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 20–21Flag of England.svg  England A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship
19 January 1996IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 26–19Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship
1 March 1996IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 25–11Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship
13 November 1996IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 28–25Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa A South Africa A tour of Great Britain and Ireland
17 January 1997IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 23–44Flag of France.svg  France A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship
14 February 1997IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 30–44Flag of England.svg  England A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship
6 February 1998IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 9–11Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship
5 February 1999IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 26–25Flag of France.svg  France A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship
5 March 1999IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 21–28Flag of England.svg  England A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship
9 April 1999IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 73–17Flag of Italy.svg  Italy A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship [16]
18 February 2000IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 23–21Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship [17]
3 March 2000IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 31–3Flag of Italy.svg  Italy A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship [18]
31 March 2000IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 28–26Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship [19] [20]
8 November 2001IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 23–18Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa 2001 Samoa tour of Europe [21]
22 March 2002IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 59–5Flag of Italy.svg  Italy A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship [22]
28 March 2003IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 24–21Flag of England.svg  England A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship6,000 [23] [24]
11 March 2005IRFU flag.svg  Ireland A 15–9Flag of France.svg  France A Six Nations "A" Rugby Championship [25]
Up to date as of 19 November 2022. [26]
Leinster Results versus Representative Sides
DateHomeScoreOpponentCompetitionAttendance
30 December 1979 Flag of Leinster.svg Leinster 26–10Flag of Italy.svg  Italy [27]
8 October 1980 Flag of Leinster.svg Leinster 24–10Flag of Romania.svg  Romania [28]
12 November 1994 Flag of Leinster.svg Leinster 26–15Flag of the United States.svg  United States [29]
24 August 1999 Flag of Leinster.svg Leinster 22–51Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina [30]
18 November 2022 Flag of Leinster.svg Leinster 40–3Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 2022 end-of-year internationals [31]
Up to date as of 19 November 2022.

Other uses

In August 2012 the stadium played host to two US high school American football teams, Jesuit Dallas and Loyola Academy of Wilmette, Illinois. Jesuit defeated Loyola 30–29 with a last minute game-winning field goal. [32]

The stadium has also hosted music events. For example, it hosted a Michael Bublé concert in July 2008, [33] and gigs headlined by The National and Future Islands in June 2018. [34] [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donnybrook, Dublin</span> Inner suburb of Dublin, Ireland

Donnybrook is a district of Dublin, Ireland. It is situated on the southside of the city, in the Dublin 4 postal district, and is home to the Irish public service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). It was once part of the Pembroke Township. Its neighbouring suburbs are Ballsbridge, Sandymount, Ranelagh and Clonskeagh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leinster Rugby</span> Rugby team

Leinster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland and the most successful Irish team domestically. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup.

The Leinster Senior Cup is a major rugby competition in Ireland, involving all senior rugby clubs in Leinster, i.e., clubs from Leinster competing in the All-Ireland League. From 2006 until 2016 it was known as the Leinster Senior League Cup during the period when the Leinster Senior League had been discontinued, but reverted to its traditional name for the 2016-17 season upon the revival of the Senior League. From 2011 to 2016 only the top senior teams competed and those in the lower divisions of the All-Ireland League competed for the Leinster Senior League Shield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby union in Ireland</span> Third most popular form of football in Ireland, organised on an all-island basis

Rugby union in Ireland is a very popular team sport. Rugby union is organised on an all-Ireland basis with one national team, governing body and league for both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Founded in 1879, the Irish Rugby Football Union is the third-oldest rugby union after England and Scotland, and was formed two years prior to the Welsh Rugby Union.

Old Belvedere R.F.C. is a senior Irish rugby union club based on Anglesea Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland. Old Belvedere was originally founded in 1918–19 by former pupils of Belvedere College. Old Belvedere enters senior men's teams in the All-Ireland League, the Leinster Senior League and the Leinster Senior Cup. In 2010–11 they were All-Ireland League champions. Between 1940 and 1946 the club won the Leinster Senior Cup seven times in a row. This remains a competition record. Old Belvedere also enters men's and women's teams in various senior, junior and youth leagues.

Bective Rangers Football Club is a rugby union club in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1881. The Club is affiliated to the Leinster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union and play in Division 1A of the Leinster League. The club plays its games at the Donnybrook Rugby Ground in Donnybrook with a second grounds at Glenamuck. The Club fields teams from Mini's, Youth, U20's Juniors, Senior and Vets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RDS Arena</span> Stadium in Dublin, Ireland

RDS Arena is a multi-purpose sports stadium, owned by the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) and located in the Dublin suburb of Ballsbridge, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Jackman</span> Rugby player

Bernard Jackman is an Irish former rugby union player who played for Connacht, Leinster and Sale Sharks. At international level, he has also played for Ireland. He released his autobiography, Blue Blood in 2011. He was dismissed as the head coach of Welsh Pro14 side the Dragons in December 2018. Jackman is the current head coach of Bective Rangers FC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aviva Stadium</span> Sports stadium in Dublin, Ireland

Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 51,700 spectators. It is built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium, which was demolished in 2007, and replaced it as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the Republic of Ireland football team. The decision to redevelop the stadium came after plans for both Stadium Ireland and Eircom Park fell through. Aviva Group Ireland signed a 10-year deal for the naming rights in 2009.

The Cork county ladies' football team represents Cork GAA in ladies' Gaelic football. The team competes in inter-county competitions such as the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship, the Munster Senior Ladies' Football Championship and the Ladies' National Football League.

Nora Stapleton is a former Ireland women's rugby union international. Stapleton represented Ireland at the 2010, 2014 and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cups. She was also a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. Stapleton was a member of the first Ireland teams to defeat both England and New Zealand. Stapleton has also played two other football codes at a senior level. As a women's association football player, she played for UCD in FAI Women's Cup finals and UEFA Women's Cup campaigns. She has also played senior ladies' Gaelic football for Donegal.

Sophie Spence is a former Ireland women's rugby union international. Spence represented Ireland at the 2014 and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cups. Spence was a member of the first Ireland teams to defeat England and New Zealand. She was also a member of the Ireland teams that won the 2013 and 2015 Women's Six Nations Championships. Spence is a British Nigerian who qualified to represent Ireland through her mother, who was originally from Lisburn, County Antrim.

The Dublin county ladies' football team represents Dublin GAA in ladies' Gaelic football. The team competes in inter-county competitions such as the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship, the Leinster Senior Ladies' Football Championship and the Ladies' National Football League.

Lindsay Peat is an Ireland women's rugby union international. Peat represented Ireland at the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. Peat is an all-round sportswoman. In addition to representing Ireland at women's rugby union, she has also played for the Republic of Ireland women's national association football team at U-18 level, captained the Ireland women's national basketball team and played senior Ladies' Gaelic football for Dublin. Between 2009 and 2014 she played in three All-Ireland finals. She was a member of the Dublin team that won the All-Ireland title in 2010 and she scored two goals in the 2014 final.

Hannah Tyrrell is an Ireland women's rugby union international. Tyrrell represented Ireland at the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. She was also a member of the Ireland team that won the 2015 Women's Six Nations Championship. Tyrrell is also an Ireland women's rugby sevens international. She has also played two other football codes at a senior level. As a women's association football player, Tyrrell played for St Catherine's in two FAI Women's Cup finals and played for Shamrock Rovers in the Women's National League. She also played senior Ladies' Gaelic football for Dublin in the Ladies' National Football League.

Nicola Daly, also referred to as Nicci Daly or Nikki Daly, is an Ireland women's field hockey international. She was a member of the Ireland team that played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final. In 2010 Daly was a member of the Loreto team that won the Irish Senior Cup. Daly has also played senior ladies' Gaelic football for Dublin. Since 2016 Daly has worked in motorsport as a data engineer for Juncos Racing.

Hannah Matthews is an Ireland women's field hockey international. She was a member of the Ireland team that played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final. Matthews has also won Irish Senior Cup and Women's Irish Hockey League titles with Loreto. She is the daughter of Phillip Matthews, the former Ireland rugby union international.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinéad Goldrick</span> Dublin senior ladies footballer

Sinéad Goldrick is a senior Dublin ladies' footballer. She captained Dublin in the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship Final and was a member of the Dublin teams that won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She was also a member of the Dublin team that won the 2018 Ladies' National Football League. In 2019 she won her seventh All Star award. During the 2010s she was also a prominent member of the Foxrock–Cabinteely team that won Dublin and Leinster titles and played in All-Ireland finals. In October 2019 it was announced that Goldrick has agreed to play for Melbourne Football Club of the AFLW in 2020.

Lyndsey Davey is a senior Dublin ladies' footballer. She was a member of the Dublin teams that won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship in 2010, 2017, 2018 and 2019. She captained Dublin in 2015. She was also a member of the Dublin team that won the 2018 Ladies' National Football League. In 2019 she received her fifth All Star award. She won her first All Star in 2005 at the age of 15.

References

  1. 1 2 "Venue - Donnybrook Stadium - Dublin". TheList. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 "New Donnybrook Pitches Are Officially Opened". Irishrugby.ie. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Worldstadia - Dublin - Donnybrook Stadium". Worldstadia.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009.
  4. "Donnybrook is now to be known as Energia Park". Irish Times. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  5. "Donnybrook Rugby Ground To Be Redeveloped". RTÉ News. 21 September 2005. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  6. "Donnybrook: A History by Dr. Beatrice Doran". The History Press. 2013 via donnybrookparish.ie.
  7. "Proud of their history but looking to the future. Club Focus: Bective Rangers". Independent News & Media. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2018. [Bective Rangers] club moved to their current home in Donnybrook sometime around 1910
  8. "Old Wesley - History - 1901–1930". Oldwesley.ie. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 "Energia Park". Energia Park. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  10. "Welcome to Energia Park". Energia.ie. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Donnybrook Stadium becomes Energia Park as Leinster agree 10-year naming rights partnership". Independent News & Media. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  12. "Ireland Women's Team To Face Italy at Donnybrook Announced". Leinster Rugby. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018. Ireland Women’s team [are] to take on their Italian counterparts on Sunday, 11th February, at Donnybrook Stadium for their first home game of the 2018 Women’s 6 Nations
  13. "England Women outclass Ireland in Donnybrook". rte.ie. RTÉ. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019. Ireland were second best against a dominant England side as the visitors scored eight tries in a 51-7 win at Donnybrook Stadium in the Women’s Six Nations
  14. "Donnybrook is now to be known as Energia Park". Irish Times. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  15. "Leinster Schools Cup Draws". Leinster Rugby. 11 December 2006. Archived from the original on 18 March 2009.
  16. "Team History Archive". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  17. "Ireland v Scotland - Six Nations A Rugby Championship". Sportsfile. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  18. "Ireland's late salvo sinks stubborn Italians". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  19. "Farrell's majestic play lands the crown". Irish Times. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  20. "Ireland v Wales - Six Nations A Rugby Championship". Sportsfile. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  21. "Irish Development XV beat Samoa". RTE. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  22. "Rugby: Ireland A defeat Italy by 54 pts". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  23. "Dramatic Finish at Donnybrook". Munster Rugby. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  24. "McHugh kicks England into touch A International". Irish Times. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  25. "Possibles make a strong case for stepping up a level". Irish Times. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  26. "Team History Archive". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  27. "Leinster v Italy". Imgur. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  28. "1980 Romania Tour of Ireland". World Rugby. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  29. "Leinster versus USA". Imgur. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  30. "ALL FIXTURES & RESULTS". Leinster rugby. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  31. "Leinster run in six tries in convincing friendly victory over World Cup-bound Chile". Irish Times. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  32. "Loyola falls to Dallas Jesuit in Dublin". Chicago Tribune. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  33. "Entertainment - Music - Pop". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  34. "The National at Donnybrook stadium: Everything you need to know". Irish Times. 13 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.