From Buckley Park to Mounthawk Park: soccer's struggles in rural Ireland

Kerry FC's run to the FAI Cup last four gave a glimpse of what can be achieved. 

KINGDOM COME: Kerry FC manager Colin Healy after the FAI Cup semi-final match against Shamrock Rovers. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

A sunny, autumnal day in Kilkenny and a few hours to kill. What to do? The city sits gorgeously under the canopy of blue sky, the plethora of coffee shops and prominence of the castle offering tempting possibilities, but there is a dilapidated old dump out on the Callan Road that won’t be ignored.

Buckley Park used to be a thriving League of Ireland ground catering for 6,000 fans. Kilkenny City played Shamrock Rovers in an FAI Cup semi-final here in 1991. Bohemians won a league title on the same patch a decade later. Underage Republic of Ireland games were hosted on the carpet that acted as a pitch.