Páirc Esler

Páirc Esler (pronounced [ˈpˠaːɾʲc ˈɛslər]) is a Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) stadium in Newry, CountyDown, Northern Ireland. It is the home of the Down Gaelic football and hurling teams and the Newry Shamrocks GAA club. The ground has a capacity of about 20,000. The ground has undergone major redevelopment work, with new stands, floodlights, new pitch all added in 2006–2007. From 1999 to 2004 no senior intercounty championship matches were played at the venue. After the development of a new terrace at the canal end of the ground and a new stand on the south side of the ground, Down hosted the All Ireland Champions, Tyrone, in round 2 of the football championship qualifiers. The following year both Fermanagh and Derry visited the ground in the qualifiers, Down losing to the latter. The ground was closed after the Down v Armagh game in Division 1B of the National Football League in March 2006 for further development.

Reopening

With work now completed on the ground, with a new covered stand and floodlighting facilities, the ground hosted its first Ulster Senior Football Championship Match since 1999 when Cavan visited the stadium for a preliminary round replay on Sunday 20 May 2007, which the home side won 0–15 to 0–11. In June it held a first-round Ulster Championship clash with Monaghan and a first-round qualifier game with Meath – Down lost both games.