Richmond Park - St Patricks Athletic Stadium Guide

The name Richmond Park actually comes from a period in history when British Armed forces occupied parts of the country, so in some ways its surprising that the name has still stuck to this day. The area around the pitch previously housed a recreational area which was situated next to Richmond Barracks, hence where the name Richmond Park came from.

When the Irish Free State was established in 1922 after the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the British Army left and three years later Bridebill F.C used the ground from 1925 onwards. St Patrick’s Athletic were founded in 1929 and spent their first season at Phoenix Park, before moving into Richmond Park a year later in 1930.

Regarded as St Pat’s permanent home ever since, the club have actually had been forced to vacate the stadium on several occasions throughout the 20th century. One of the most notable occasions occurred when the team achieved promotion to the League of Ireland in 1951, but were forced to leave Richer for a series of venues across Dublin after the ground was deemed inadequate.

The Super Saints returned in the 1960s when major redevelopment was was carried out, but in 1989 they were once again forced to temporarily vacate after further renovation work was carried out. Initially expected to take no more than a season, the construction work dragged on for a period of four years due to financial problems, and the club only returned on the 5th December 1993. Thankfully there have been no periods of prolonged absence since!

As for the future of Richmond Park, it appears as if St Pat’s will remain here for the foreseeable future due to the recent addition of a new stand in 2007, and the fact that it now consists of four stands which is certainly not the norm in Irish Football. In 2005 the club contemplated a move to the new Tallaght Stadium to be shared with Shamrock Rovers, but this was quickly rejected the board of directors after outrage from the fans.

View of Richmond Park

Richmond Park is comprised of four stands: North, East, South and West.

Click the thumbnails above to enlarge an image of each stand and to read a more detailed description of each part of the Stadium.

By default for your average league match away fans share the main stand with home supporters, but for games which are more high profile or when the travelling contingent is expected to be larger, fans are relocated to the Shed End Terrace. Usually the ticket allocation is for Block A within the main stand, and due to the close proximity of supporters expect lots of banter!

The closest pub to Richmond Park is The Dowells which sits pretty much opposite the stadium on Emmet Road. Formerly known as Richmond House which was established in 1868, it is our understanding that it is a club-run pub (See the mural outside – “Once a Saint Always a Saint!”) and thus may not be suitable for away fans.

Thankfully there are some alternative options on route to the stadium including the Old Royal Oak which is a traditional boozer and The Patriots Inn which boasts an Italian themed menu. Less than five minutes North of Dublin Heuston Station there are a number of scenic pubs close the River Liffey such as The Galway Hooker and The Millennium Bar. The pick of the bunch appears to be Ryan’s however which offers punters a steak menu in a Victorian Pub.

You can of course also drink in the city centre before hand where there are plenty of options wherever you turn.

Between Dublin Heuston station and St. James Hospital there are a few places to eat from such as Subway, otherwise you’re much better off eating beforehand in the capital city or inside Richmond Park.

St Patricks Athletic Club Shop

Although the club shop tends to only be open on matchdays the office is usually open Monday to Friday between 9.30 – 5.00 pm, and somebody there should be able to sell you a shirt or whatever you want although don’t take this as gospel.

Failing this you could always visit the online St Pats FC Store which is the most convenient way for most fans to browse and purchase merchandise.

St Patricks Athletic don’t routinely offer fans the chance to undertake a guided tour of the facilities at Richmond Park, however in the past such as during the 2012 season the club have held open days. This means that there may be an opportunity for some fans to see the dressing room, tunnel and dug-outs first hand in the near future.

Thomond Park is situated within Inchicore which is a suburb belonging to Ireland’s capital city, Dublin. It is approximately 4.3 km from the capital city’s centre.

The address for satnav is as follows:

• Richmond Park, 125 Emmett Road, Inchicore, Dublin

Car Parks

Unfortunately there isn’t an official car park available to the general public on matchdays with on-street parking around the stadium likely to be your best bet. Buffin Road just off of Emmet Road which runs outside the stadium is one of the most popular places to go looking for a space. This takes you to a residential area with several potential streets to choose from.

Heuston Station is the closest to Richmond park, although located around 25 minutes away via foot and still walkable, it’s hardly the epitome of convenience.  Still, once you have arrived you can either catch the 79 Bus or use the Red Luas Line.

Public Transport of Richmond Park

The closest LUAS Station is at Goldenbridge, and this is served by The Red Line which has frequent services between Saggart and Tallaght via the city centre.

Upon exiting the station follow Goldenbridge across the canal, keep left onto Connolly Avenue and proceed to Emmet Road where the stadium will greet you.

The closest hotel to Richmond Park stadium is undoubtedly the Hilton Kilmainham, however it is quite pricey, and if you’re planning on making a weekend of it you’re much better heading back to the centre of Dublin. Here there are hotels to suit all budgets including the likes of Maldron Parnell Square, Jurys Inn and a Holiday Inn.