The Showgrounds, Soccer stadium in Sligo, Ireland
The Showgrounds is a football stadium in Sligo with a main stand and several spectator sections that accommodate around 4,500 spectators in total. The venue contains functional infrastructure for sporting events with distinct areas arranged for different groups of fans.
The County Sligo Agricultural Society laid out the grounds in 1907, and the gates first opened on 22 July 1908 for the county agricultural show. The first sporting fixture was a minor Gaelic football final between Coolera and Keash on 9 August 1908, and the first soccer match followed on 1 May 1909, Sligo St. Mary's beating Ballina 5–0. Sligo Rovers have played here since the club formed in 1928; a trust representing the people of Sligo bought the ground in 1968.
The ground's name comes from the County Sligo Agricultural Society, which held its annual show here from 22 July 1908, when entry cost one shilling. Gaelic games came first: a minor county final between Coolera and Keash was played on 9 August 1908. Greyhound racing ran here from about 1934 to 1947.
The ground is a 12-acre site with a car park of 115 spaces, so arriving early on match nights helps. The club shop sits on the Tracey Avenue Stand side and opens on match nights. The main stand is cantilevered, keeping views of the pitch unobstructed from its 1,853 seats.
The Showgrounds hosted greyhound racing from about 1934 to 1947, run at first by the Sligo Greyhound Racing Company. In 1939 Matthew J. Lyons and John E. Dorris bought the business and moved the whole operation to Longford Greyhound Stadium; racing in Sligo ended during 1947.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,619 contributors worldwide.