Celtic Park
Thanks to the Belfast Celtic Society for sending information to the project.
Celtic Park in Belfast is an example of a sporting heritage site that no longer exists. However, although the ground, known as ‘Paradise’ is now a shopping centre, it continues to have a strong hold on the popular imagination. Celtic Park was home to Belfast Celtic Football Club and it held the first greyhound race in Ireland, on Easter Monday April 1927.
Belfast Celtic was formed in 1891 and from 1901 played on a ten acre site it secured on the Donegall Road. In order to maximise the value of the grounds a cinder track was installed that was suitable for trotting races, cycling and athletics. The first trotting meeting was held at Easter 1903, and these events continued to be a regular feature at Celtic Park until January 1927, when the track was re-turfed to make it suitable for greyhound racing. Whippet racing and boxing competitions also drew large crowds to Celtic Park and made a significant contribution to financing improvements to the grounds. The grounds were owned and run by members of the emerging Catholic middle class and they had a clear intention of running the venue as a business. As a result, when soccer was not being played the venue was leased to all manner of events from travelling circuses to political meetings. Celtic Park provided seating for 2,500 spectators and was the first stadium in Ireland to erect a covered enclosure on the unreserved side of its ground when a steel and concrete stand was erected in 1926. At its height the stadium had a capacity of 50,000.
Belfast Celtic was one of the most successful teams ever to play Irish football and during its time in competition it won the Irish League fourteen times, the Irish Cup eight times, the City Cup Winners ten times and the Gold Cup seven times. Political upheavals had a profound impact on the history of the club. Belfast Celtic withdrew from football from 1920-24 because the Board of Directors believed it could not guarantee the safety of players and supporters. Sectarianism finally ended the life of the club in 1949 as violence broke out at a match on 27 December against Celtic’s main Belfast rival Linfield, at Windsor Park. The crowd invaded the pitch and Celtic players were attacked, including the goal keeper Jimmy Jones who had his leg broken. As a result the Board of Directors of Belfast Celtic withdrew from the Irish League at the end of the season and the club folded.
Despite the withdrawal of Belfast Celtic from Celtic Park the venue continued to operate as a greyhound track until it finally closed in 1983. It has now become the Park Centre.
