Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.43
Pot O’ Gold Sports Palace 777 Lucky Charms Place Dublin, Ireland 77777
Year Opened: 2017 Capacity: 26,000 humans, or 52,000 leprechauns
This Sports Venue Really Sham Rocks!
The Pot of Gold Sports Palace is a multi-sport facility, as it hosts a wide variety of Gaelic games. It opened on March 17, 2017. It has a seating capacity of 26,000 humans or 52,000 leprechauns. Over the years it has hosted soccer, American football games, Celtics exhibition basketball games, and the Commonwealth Indoor Olympic games.
Local fans are still talking about the legendary upset victory of the St. Patrick Saints over the Sydney Snakes in soccer. The victory was so magnificent that it drove the Snakes team to leave the country, never to return. Other teams that call the Pot O’ Gold home include the Limerick Lilliputians and the Wearin’ of the Green Bay Packers.
Teams based at the Sports Palace have undefeated home records. We assume it is just the luck of the Irish holding true!
Food & Beverage 4
There are several concession stands located throughout the Pot of Gold Sports Palace. Some of the stands are familiar names like Beef O’ Brady and Bennigan’s. The other stands specialize in Irish favorites, including Irish stew, soda bread, pot pies, shepherd’s pie, colcannon, cabbage, corned beef, green eggs, and ham. Scones are available for dessert. There are some children’s foods, including Lucky Charms and Dunkin O’ shamrock-shaped Donuts, on the kid’s menu.
A wide variety of green beverages is available at the Pot O’ Gold games. They include Irish coffee, green tea, and green Gatorade. The craft beer offerings include Guinness brand beers, several stouts, plus 52 craft beers (all of which are green in color). They also offer Irish red and pale ales and of course Bailey’s Irish Cream.
We found that you will not be sharing a lot of green at the facility, as stands only accepts credit cards. Concession stands accept Hibernian Express, Irish VISA, and Master O’ Card only.
Atmosphere 4
The owner’s box is rather small compared to other major sports venues, but then the owner is a leprechaun, so the added space is not needed. Fans with lots of green can purchase seating in the premium seating area, the Paddy O Furniture Deck. In addition to the very comfortable seating, the Deck also offers at-your-seat food and beverage service, premium parking, and a lottery ticket to win the pot of gold drawing.
Pot of Gold Sports Palace has a one-of-a-kind shamrock-shaped video board behind the end zone. It offers both instant replay videos and other announcements throughout the games.
Fans in a pinch for some green gear can visit one of the four-leaf clover Shamrock Sports Stores located along the concourse.
Neighborhood 5
Dublin and the Pot of Gold Sports Palace are both located in the Emerald Isles, so you will need either a boat or plane to get to an event. Dublin offers a wide variety of things to do. These include Phoenix Park, Trinity College, Dublin Castle, and of course, the National Leprechaun Museum. The world-famous Blarney Stone is also nearby.
Fans 5
Gamedays begin at the top O’ the mornin’ as the green lot is set aside for tailgating. Corned beef cabbage hole is a popular game with fans as they wait for the doors of the Sports Palace to open.
The fan bases for the various teams that call the Pot of Gold Sports Palace are very loyal to the home squads. They sing the team anthems throughout the games and are known to break out in the “We will… we will Shamrock you!” cheer during rallies by the locals and scream like banshees when a referee’s calls go against the Saints.
Like many European sports events, the fans can get a little out of control after too many beers, which can result in a donnybrook. Security has been tightened as a result. Challenging an officer with taunts like “Fight me…I’m Irish” or “I’ll Shamrock your world!” will find themselves at the wrong end of a shillelagh. The jig is up, and Hibernian hooligans are sent to a paddy wagon.
Teams playing at the Pot of Gold Sports Palace generally draw small crowds. Oh, they draw very well…. It’s just that most of them are leprechauns!
The fans get into the halftime shows, as they feature the Notre Dame Fighting Irish band and U2. The band is known to bring the fans to tears, as they close each performance with “Danny Boy”.
Access 5
Directions: You won’t need the luck of the Irish to find the Pot O’ Gold Sports Palace…. simply follow the rainbow to its’ end stupid!
Visitors may find the concourses to be narrower than you would usually find in a major sports facility. This is because the fanbase is mostly made up of leprechauns, who take up a lot less space.
Another word of caution… leprechauns are wee when they go to pee, so the urinals and toilets in the restrooms are set very low. Ask your usher where the “special needs” restrooms are, as they will have normal-sized plumbing.
Parking is free at the Pot of Gold Sports Palace. Just don’t park in the Lots O’ Green section, as it is reserved for the leprechaun season ticket holders.
Return on Investment 5
You won’t need a pot of gold to attend a sports event at this venue. The tickets are very reasonably priced, the concessions are cheap, and parking is free.
Extras 3
In addition to sports events, Pot of Gold Sports Palace has hosted concerts by the Cranberries, U2, and the Riverdance dance group.
Before each match, a member of Celtic Women sings “When Irish Eyes are Smiling”.
The Pot O’ Gold Sports Palace is a “green” facility. It is painted green! It also does a great job of recycling as well.
Final Thoughts
You’ll thank your lucky charms for the gameday experience at the Pot O’ Gold Sports Palace. Your friends will be green with envy, as it takes the luck of the Irish to get a ticket to one of these Gaelic games.