Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a stadium more than just bricks and mortar

Having a place to play sits at the heart of the very existence of every sporting organisation. Without such a place, no sport can exist. writes Paul Rouse.

When the modern sporting world was being made in the late 19th century, newly-minted sports clubs – and then their governing bodies – sought to make for themselves a place to call their own.

The making of these grounds changed the aspect of Irish towns and cities, as the great craze for organised sport swept Ireland – just as it was sweeping Britain and America.