A general view of SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Cork GAA’s SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh has been announced as the winner of the prestigious GAA Pitch of the Year award.
Last winners of the title in 2022, the Cork venue edged out last year’s turf kings in Páirc Tailteann in Navan.
The four finalists shortlisted in the 2024 Pitch of the Year were all visited by Seán Foran (Grounds Management, Croke Park) and Ian McClements (iTurf Management).
The other finalists were Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon, St. Tiernach’s in Clones and Páirc Tailteann in Navan.
As chairman of the National Pitch Workgroup, Stuart Wilson, said: “The Pitch of the Year recognises the considerable efforts that go into the preparation of our pitches on a weekly basis, sometimes in very difficult circumstances.
“All the grounds were assessed against more than 30 criteria including pitch playing quality, pitch presentation and performance as well as taking account of the resources available for management.
“The extreme weather conditions and very high usage levels made the preparation of pitches extremely challenging and the condition that these finalists achieved at the time of our visit highlighted the level of dedication and commitment of both the staff and volunteers involved.
“Given the exceptionally high standards demonstrated across all grounds and the incredibly close scores between the finalists, selecting a definitive winner and runner-up proved challenging. However, for 2024, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh was ultimately chosen as the winner, with Páirc Tailteann named as the runner-up”
The competition is sponsored by ICL, Turfcare and Campey Turfcare and the winners will receive a range of products and tools they can use on their pitch.