1st August
2015
Limerick 3 Sligo
Rovers 2 (League of Ireland – Premier
Division)
It was a mere pipedream back in 2005 when I
first crossed the water and watched Derry City play at the Brandywell.
The League of Ireland, with its two divisions, looked an immense task to complete, but, over time I’ve managed to chip away at it, and barring a couple of years where I abstained from visiting the emerald isle, I’ve usually managed to knock off two or three grounds a season.
I was helped somewhat by the fact that over the past few seasons the league have lost clubs in the shape of Monaghan United, Salthill Devon and Mervue United, but, having ticked off Athlone Town and Waterford United last season, it left me with just two grounds to get to in 2015 to achieve my own Holy Grail.
Cabinteely, the newcomers to the league, was nailed down in March, and that just left Limerick and their new stadium at Markets Field to complete the set. Myself and Rachael decided to hatch a plan!
Back in December when we talked about our Summer holidays, we planned to have a trip together to Southern Ireland because Rach had never been and I was desperate to show her why I had such an affinity for the place. It was a case of checking the fixtures, and if it all came together right, we could get in the Limerick v Sligo Rovers game on the Saturday, doubled up with the Cork City v Bohemians game on the Friday, assuming of course that Cork didn’t advance too far in the Europa League.
It was going to be quite a trip, a flight from Liverpool to Cork on the Thursday, two nights on Leeside and then a road trip to Limerick on the Saturday, followed by Galway on the Sunday before flying back to Liverpool from Knock on the Monday.
It was a trip we both couldn’t wait for and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
Arriving in Cork on the Thursday we picked up the car and headed down to the beautiful harbour of Kinsale, known as the culinary capital of Ireland, and then on the Friday we made the long drive out through West Cork via Bantry, right the way down the Wild Atlantic Way to Mizen Head.
The game on Friday night at Turners Cross saw a hugely impressive Cork side beat Bohemians 4-0, and then on the Saturday we made the way North to Limerick, calling in for some lunch at Adare, also known as the prettiest village in Ireland, and we weren’t going to argue with that!
Limerick itself isn’t the nicest of places, in fact it does have a somewhat chequered reputation. Known in the Irish media as ‘Stab City’, it is famed for its gangland activity and the subsequent knock on effect it has had on the region and its population. Parts of the City are nice, the King John’s Castle, the Milk Market, and indeed the impressive Thomond Park, but walking around the City Centre before the game it just felt very different to Cork. I’m not suggesting it felt threatening in any way, but you just felt that you didn’t really want to be hanging around late at night.
Markets Field is a short walk from the City Centre, and while not a scenic walk by any means, it was straightforward enough and we found a pub on the very edges of the Garryowen Estate which backs onto the ground. It didn’t look hugely appealing from the outside, but once inside it was clean and tidy, and the welcome, more importantly, was friendly.
Limerick didn’t start the season at Markets
Field, in fact it’s been a bit of a story in terms of Limerick Football Club
and grounds within the City. Back in the Sixties and right through to the early
Eighties, they did in fact play at Markets Field, before leaving the stadium
under somewhat controversial circumstances. Their next place of residence was
on the Southern edges of the City in Rathbane, playing at the uninspiring Hogan
Park. They left Rathbane in the mid 2000’s and moved to Jackman Park which was
another unexciting venue right next door to the railway station, a ground where
I saw them play Wexford Youths. They then spent a season at Thomond Park, which
was a nice idea, but with such small crowds in a huge stadium, and with costs
spiraling, the move back to Markets Field couldn’t come soon enough.
They had to start the season at Jackman Park as
the new ground, which had lain derelict for many years, was developed to the
required standard, but then finally in May, they made the move and saw a crowd
in excess of two thousand turn up for the first game.
Crowds have dipped somewhat since then as the novelty has worn off, it’s probably also not helped by the fact that Limerick sat bottom of the league with just five points and no wins to their name either. Relegation does indeed look like an inevitability, but they are finally back at their spiritual home.
The ground itself is not going to win awards for aesthetic pleasure. If anything it is a somewhat grey and functional structure, dominated by a large main stand which has been completely refurbished. A huge wall dominates the perimeter of the ground, and other than a temporary seated stand behind the goal at the Garryowen End, the rest is hard standing. From the back of the Main Stand you can see across the City to the right and then directly in front of you is a giant factory.
The game itself while not anywhere near as high on quality as the night before in Cork, was equally as absorbing. Limerick played like a team with renewed confidence and scored twice in the first half through Vinne Faherty.
You did fear the worst when Rob Lehane pulled a goal back for Sligo just after the break, but then within ten minutes Dean Clarke had restored the two goal advantage. Sligo made it 3-2 in the 78th minute through Gary Armstrong and that then resulted in them laying siege to the Limerick goal. Some last ditch defending and several fine saves from Freddy Hall, plus a nerve jangling five minutes of added time simply increased the drama and tension, but the Super Blues hung on for their first victory of the season.
Not only was it their first victory of the season, it was also their first victory at Markets Field since 1984! 980 were present to see the historic moment.
A superb meal and a few drinks followed, before driving up to Galway the following morning and an afternoon at the famous Galway Races, which inevitably lead to a night on the brilliant Quay Street.
So, the League of Ireland is now complete, but this trip was so much more than that. It was a culmination of a dream that has taken over four years to happen for Rachael and I, and as far as I’m concerned the football and the final ‘tick’ was just one small part of it.
And that’s why, even though the League is now complete, the trips across the water are far from over.
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