Downhills Park

Establishing a Home: The Journey to Downhills Park

The search for a permanent Gaelic Football pitch in North London began in 2013. At the time, Éire Óg, Holloway Gaels, and Finsbury Park Rugby Club were all in need of a dedicated home.

Initially, the consortium looked at refurbishing the historic pitch in Finsbury Park. However, structural issues—including a major cracked drain deemed unsafe by Thames Water—forced the group to look elsewhere within a three-mile radius.

A Partnership with Haringey Council

After scouting ten potential green spaces across Islington, Hackney, and Haringey, the club met with Andrea Keeble from the Haringey Council Sports and Recreation Department. This meeting was the turning point. The council supported our vision for promoting Gaelic football and rugby in Haringey, and Downhills Park was selected as our new home.

With the blessing of the Friends of Downhills Park (FOD), the transformation of the grounds began.

The Restoration Project: Three Phases of Development

Our clubhouse and pitch were built on the “sweat equity” of our members. The entire project was self-funded, with over £7,300 invested in facilities.

Phase 1 (July 2014): Installing The Gaelic Football Goalposts

The first goal was to turn a public park into a professional playing field. In July 2014, instead of a standard training session, Éire Óg members spent an evening performing manual labor-digging meter-squared holes and mixing concrete until midnight. Led by Paul Mulholland, the Gaelic football goalposts were officially erected that Saturday.

Phase 2 (February 2015): Renovating the Changing Rooms

The existing changing rooms had been boarded up and neglected. Our consortium invested over £4,500 in a full internal overhaul, including:

  • Complete rewiring and plumbing.
  • New woodwork and internal painting.
  • Installation of high-pressure power showers.

Phase 3 (June 2015): Completion and Identity

The final phase saw the installation of rugby posts and the exterior decoration of the clubhouse. Today, the building is marked by our club crests—a symbol of the transition from a derelict building to a vibrant London GAA community hub.

The People Behind the Project

This facility exists because of the tireless work of our volunteers and partners:

  • Haringey Council: Andrea Keeble, Steve Hall, Colin Copper, and the Parks Team.
  • Community Partners: Friends of Downhills Park and the HAIL Downhills Park Café.
  • Club Leadership: Conor McGinn (Éire Óg President), Paul Mulholland, Harry Murray, and Dave Moran.
  • The Consortium: Steve Morse and Chris Dalby (FPRC); Stephen Brady (Holloway Gaels).
  • The Volunteers: Every club member who braved the winter cold to renovate the clubhouse.

2025/2026: Restoration Works

Working closely with Haringey Council and our Downhills Park neighbours Holloway Gaels and FPRC, internal refurbishment work on our shared clubhouse began in May 2025, with a grand re-opening scheduled for early 2026.