Páirc Mac Uílín (Irish pronunciation: [ˈpˠaːɾʲc mˠək ˈiːlʲiːnʲ]) is a Gaelic Athletic Association playing field in Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is the home of the McQuillan GAC Ballycastle club, one of the most successful teams in the county. The grounds have two full size pitches, floodlight facilities, a training area, a Hurling wall as well as multi-purpose clubrooms. The club also has a wind turbine installed on site.
McQuillan Park[1] | |
 | |
  Páirc Mac Uílín Location within Northern Ireland | |
| Location | 14-18 Whitepark Road, Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT54 6HA |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 55°12′15″N 6°16′23″W / 55.204123°N 6.273142°W |
| Public transit | Ballycastle bus stop (Marine Corner) |
| Owner |  McQuillan GAC Ballycastle |
| Capacity | 4,900 |
| Field size | 138m x 90m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2003 |
| Opened | 2007 |
| Website | |
| mcquillangac | |
It officially opened in 2007, the centenary year of McQuillan GAC Ballycastle, with GAA President Nickey Brennan, newly installed Ulster President Tom Daly and Antrim chairman Dr John McSparron in attendance. The first match was a friendly between the home side and Kilkenny club James Stephens. In December 2012 Páirc MacUílín received the Antrim and Ulster GAA Ground of the Year awards.[2]
During the redevelopment of Casement Park, Páirc MacUílín hosted the senior Antrim county hurling team from 2014 to 2016.[3] It was also selected as the location for the Antrim Senior Hurling Championship finals in 2013, 2014 and 2016.
Matches from three different senior inter county competitions have been held at the venue, including the National Hurling League, Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
Antrim Senior Hurling Championship Finals at Páirc MacUílín
edit| 24 September 2017 Antrim Senior Hurling Championship Final |  Ruairí Óg, Cushendall | 2-15 - 2-9 |  Dunloy | Páirc Mac Uílín, Ballycastle |
| 3:15 pm | Report | Referee: Mark O’Neill (Armoy) |
| 25 September 2016 Antrim Senior Hurling Championship Final |  Loughgiel Shamrocks | 1-15 - 1-12 | Ruairí Óg, Cushendall | Páirc Mac Uílín, Ballycastle |
| 28 September 2014 Antrim Senior Hurling Championship Final |  St Gall's | 1-5 - 1-15 | Ruairí Óg, Cushendall | Páirc Mac Uílín, Ballycastle |
| 30 September 2013 Antrim Senior Hurling Championship Final | Loughgiel Shamrocks | 3-14 - 2-6 | Ruairí Óg, Cushendall | Páirc Mac Uílín, Ballycastle |
Inter county matches at Páirc MacUílín
edit| 13 March 2016 Allianz National Hurling League Division 2A |  Antrim | 1-11 - 1-17 |  Carlow | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| 14:00 | C Johnston 0-3, 1f, J Connolly 1-0, C Clarke (2f), L Watson (1f, 1 '65') 0-2 each, K McKernan, E McCloskey, M Dudley, N McKenna 0-1 each. | Report | D Murphy 0-7f, M Kavanagh 1-1, J Doyle, Sean Murphy, S Whelan, 0-2 each, D English, J Kavanagh, JM Nolan 0-1 each. | Referee: S Cleere (Kilkenny) |
| 21 February 2016 Allianz National Hurling League Division 2A | Antrim | 3-25 - 3-13 |  Kildare | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| 14:00 | C Clarke 1-9 (0-5fs, 0-1 '65'), S McCaughan 2-1, K McKernan 0-5 (1f), N McKenna, Conor Johnston 0-3 each, J McGreevy 0-2, E McCloskey, S McCrory 0-1 each. | Report | M Fitzgerald 0-7 (6fs), G Keegan 1-3, J Sheridan 2-0, N O Muineachain, R Casey, P Cocoman 0-1 each. | Referee: D Hughes (Carlow) |
| 15 July 2015 Ulster U21 Hurling Championship Semi-final | Antrim | 6-22 - 0-7 |  Armagh | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| 19:45 | Conor Johnston (2-2), S McCaughan (1-4, 0-1 free), J O’Connell (1-2), Ciaran Johnston (1-1), J Connolly (0-4, 0-2 frees), P McBride (1-0), C Ross (0-3), N McKenna (0-3), M Connolly (0-1), D Traynor (0-1), T Ó Ciaran (0-1). | Report | R Fullerton (0-2, 0-1 free), S Renaghan (0-2), L Oliver (0-2), T Nevin (0-1). | Referee: A Nash |
| 3 May 2015 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Qualifying Group | Antrim | 5-17 – 3-22 | Laois | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| 15:30 | C Clarke (2-7, 1-0 pen, 0-5f, 0-1 ’65), C Johnson (2-1), N McManus (1-2), P Shiels (0-3, 1f), N McAuley (0-1), M Bradley (0-1), E Campbell (0-1), D Murphy (0-1). | Report | Z Keenan (1-9, 1-0 pen, 0-7f), T Fitzgerald (1-1), B Conroy (1-0), PJ Scully (0-3), R King (0-3), W Hyland (0-3), P Purcell (0-1), J Campion (0-1), C Dwyer (0-1). | Referee: P O'Dwyer (Carlow) |
| 22 March 2015 Allianz National Hurling League Division 1B | Antrim | 0-19 - 2-17 |  Offaly | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| 14:00 | Report |
| 22 February 2015 Allianz National Hurling League Division 1B | Antrim | 1-12 - 0-23 |  Limerick | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| 14:00 | Paul Shiels (0-7, 0-5 frees); Eoghan Campbell (1-1); Matthew Donnelly, Simon McCrory, Conor Johnston, Conor Clarke (0-1) | Report | Shane Dowling (0-6 frees); David Reidy, Paul Browne, Cian Lynch, Tom Condon (0-3); Donal O’Grady (0-2); James Ryan, Seamus Hickey, Wayne McNamara (0-1) | Referee: John Keenan |
| 16 July 2014 Ulster U21 Hurling Championship Semi-final | Antrim | 3-23 - 0-10 | Derry | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| 19:30 | C Clarke (1-7, 0-2f, 1'65), S McCaughan (2-1), N McKenna (0-3), D McCloskey (0-3), R McCambridge (0-2), J O'Connell (0-2), M Bradley (0-2), C McNaughton (0-2), D McGuinness (0-1). | Report | S Farren (0-5f), J O'Dwyer (0-3), T McCloskey (0-1), T O'Kane (0-1). |
| 29 June 2014 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Qualifier Round 1 | Antrim | 1-20 - 2-19 | Offaly | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| 14:00 | P Shiels (0-08, 4f, 1 65), PJ O’Connell (1-02), C Clarke (0-03), N McAuley (0-01), N McManus (0-01, 1f), T McCann (0-01), J McGreevy (0-01), C McCann (0-01), M Bradley (0-01), S McAfee (0-01). | report | B Carroll (1-04, 1-2f, 2 65), J Bergin (0-05, 2f), D Kenny (1-00), S Dooley (0-03), C Egan (0-02), D Currams (0-01), D Morkan (0-01), S Cleary (0-01), C Parlon (0-01); C Mahon (0-01). | Referee: James McGrath (Westmeath) |
| 11 May 2014 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Qualifying Group | Antrim | 1-17 - 2-07 | London | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| P Shiels (1-10 0-04f 0-02'65), C Clarke (0-03 0-01f), N McManus, E Campbell, C Johnson, S McAfee (0-01 each) | Report | E Kelly (0-05 0-03f 0-02 '65), K Walsh, M Duggan (1-00 each) D Moore, P Phelan (0-01 each) |
| 27 April 2014 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Qualifying Group | Antrim | 0-23 - 2-11 | Westmeath | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| 15:00 | P Shiels (0-12, 10fs), C Clarke, PJ O'Connell (0-3 each), E Campbell (0-2), N McManus, N McKenna, D Hamill (0-1 each). | Report | D McNicholas (2-1), N O'Brien (0-5, 4fs), E Price (0-3, 2fs), C Curley (0-2). | Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary) |
| 30 March 2014 Allianz National Hurling League Division 1B Relegation play-off | Antrim | 1–18 – 1–14 | Offaly | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| 14:00 | P Shiels (0-09, 0-04f, 0-01 '65'), C Carson (1-01), PJ O'Connell (0-03), N McManus (0-03, 0-01f), E Campbell (0-02). | Report | S Quirke (1-02), J Bergin (0-05, 0-04f), B Carroll (0-03), D Currams (0-02), C Mahon (0-01), S Dooley (0-01). | Referee: James Owens (Wexford) |
| 16 March 2014 Allianz National Hurling League Division 1B | Antrim | 1–12 – 0–18 | Cork | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| 14:00 | S McAfee (0–4, 2f), M Donnelly (1–1), N McManus (2fs), P Shiels (1f), C Carson (0–2 each), Barry McFall (0–1). | Report | P Horgan (0–11, 8fs, 1 65), C Lehane (0–4), P Cronin, B Hartnett, P Haughney (0–1 each). | Referee: E Hassan (Derry) |
| 16 February 2014 Allianz National Hurling League Division 1B | Antrim | 1–11 – 0–15 |  Wexford | Páirc Mac Uílín |
| 14:00 | P Shiels 0–7 (5fs), D McKernan 1–0, C Carson 0–2, N McKenna, Conor Johnston 0–1 each | Report | J Guiney 0–5 (4fs, 1 '65'), P Morris 0–3, D O'Keeffe, L Og McGovern 0–2 each, A Shore, I Byrne, R Jacob 0–1 each | Referee: James McGrath (Westmeath) |
Antrim's record at Páirc MacUílín
edit| Played | Won | Lost |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | 7 | 7 |
Awards
edit- Antrim GAA Ground of the Year 2012, 2015
- Ulster GAA Ground of the Year 2012
References
edit- ^ "Davy Fitz needs to be reminded, it's only a ball game". Belfasttelegraph – via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "Ulster GAA Presidents Awards". Ulster GAA. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
- ^ "Antrim hurlers staying in Ballycastle". Hogan Stand website. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.