Breffni Park

History

Breffni Park was opened in 1923. The opening was attended by Eoin O'Duffy who gave a speech calling on the GAA to "bring together all sections of the Irish people" to "save the youth of Ireland from the sea of moral degradation into which they were travelling".

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Breffni Park was used as a drive-through test centre.

Athletics

In June 2009, Breffni Park was the venue where the world record for the 12-hour continuous relay race was broken by 1,868 participants.

Camogie

The 2009 Cavan Camogie Development Fun Day to promote the development of camogie at underage levels was held at Breffni Park on 7 June 2009.

Gaelic football

Breffni Park regularly hosts matches in the Ulster Senior Football Championship. In the Ulster Senior Football Championship 2009, it hosted Cavan's unexpected 0–13 to 1–09 quarter-final defeat of Fermanagh. Critics had beforehand doubted Cavan's ability to win the match. The Belfast Telegraph described it as Fermanagh's "most inept championship performance for some time", saying Fermanagh were "gunned down".

Breffni Park has also hosted several matches at national level.

All-Ireland qualifying matches

Breffni Park has hosted a number of qualifiers for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

The stadium hosted one game involving Cavan when they progressed to round four of the qualifiers for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2005. The team entered the qualifiers in the second round where they beat Donegal by a score of 1–11 to 1–10 at the ground. Breffni Park also hosted the third round qualifying game between Monaghan and Louth which Monaghan won by 1–12 to 0–14.

The round three qualifier for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2007 between Derry and Laois was played at Kingspan Breffni Park. Derry won by 1–18 to 2–11 to go through to the quarter-finals.

In the 2011 Football Championship it hosted 25 June round 1 qualifier between Louth and Meath, and Cavan versus Longford.

Allianz National League

In 2004, Breffni Park hosted a Division 1B match between Cavan and Armagh which Cavan won convincingly by 3–12 to 0–8. Armagh were winners of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2002 and runners-up in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2003.

Breffni Park was chosen to host the 2006 Division Two Final of the Allianz National League between Donegal and Louth. There was controversy when Donegal's manager Brian McIver was upset as he thought the game should have been played at Croke Park in Dublin. McIver said: "It defies logic and I think the sponsors might have something to say about it as well. It's very strange that the finals can suddenly be moved from Croke Park. [...] The National League is the second biggest competition in the GAA and the finals should be staged at Croke Park". The GAA claimed it was due to "the geographic considerations in respect of the four Division One semi-finalists". Donegal's semi-final defeat of Westmeath had also taken place at Breffni Park.

Hurling

National Hurling League

Two of the National Hurling League Finals were played at Kingspan Breffni Park on 2 May 2009. These were the Division Three A Final between Meath and Kildare and the Division Four Final between Monaghan and Sligo.

International rules football

Breffni Park hosted the first test in the 2006 Ladies' International Rules Series between Ireland and Australia. This was the first test between the two teams. Ireland beat Australia by 134–15. The venue also hosted the first test during the 2013 International Rules Series.

References

References

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3. (4 June 2009). "Eu will have to Erne the victory". [[Belfast Telegraph]].
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23. (1 November 2006). "TG4 International Rules Series 1st Test". ladiesgaelic.ie.
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26. (31 October 2006). "Breffni Park hosts first-ever women's International Rules tie". Irish Examiner.
27. (23 February 2013). "International Rules: Kingspan Breffni Park confirmed for Series opener". the42.ie.
28. (23 February 2013). "Cavan's Breffni Park to stage International Rules match". BBC.
29. (22 October 2013). "GAA and AFL meet with future of International Rules series on the line". The Irish Times.