DIRECTIONS TO THE CARLISLE GROUNDS

By Car

From Dublin: Take the N11 out of Dublin or M50 Southbound.

 

Exit the M50/N11 merge at junction 5 Bray North. At roundabout take second exit towards Bray. Continue straight on along the Dublin Road, cross the Dargle bridge and turn left at the lights just beyond the Royal Hotel. Continue down Quinnsboro Road. The Carlisle is on your left just before the level crossing

By BUS

DUBLIN BUS numbers 145 from Dublin City Centre, 84 (from Blackrock) or 45A from Dun Laoghaire.

Routes 84 & 45A both go to Bray DART station which is beside the Ground. Route 145 stops in Bray Main Street which is a short walk to the Ground.

By train

All DART trains from Dublin City Stations Southbound stop at Bray Station. Journey time is 40 minutes from Dublin City Centre.
Most south-east-bound trains stop at Bray, as do most trains from the South-east to Dublin. When you arrive at the station, leave by the main exit and turn right. The entrance and turnstiles are visible from there.

FACILITIES AND REGULATIONS

HOME SUPPORTERS

Home Supporters

Home fans are accommodated on the main covered stand on the Town side of the ground.

Away supporters

Away fans are accommodated on the Railway Side which is uncovered.

Shops

Hot Food is available from mobile catering vans inside the ground.

Sweet Shop located inside the ground.

Merchandise

The club shop, which is located inside the ground, stocks a large range of replica jerseys, leisure wear and souvenirs. Also a large range of old match day programmes

CARLISLE GROUNDS HISTORY

William Dargan
1990?s
Bray Unknowns 1908/09 pictured in front of the goal at the International Hotel
2013
2016
ground regularions - click here

Entry to the ground is subject to acceptance by the visitor of these Ground Regulations and of the rules and regulations of the Football Association of Ireland and the League of Ireland in respect of the relevant match.   Entry to the ground constitutes acceptance of the Ground Regulations, and this shall apply in respect of all events within the Ground.

“Ground” means The Carlisle Grounds and all locations owned, occupied or utilised by Bray Wanderers Football Club

“Events” means any event taking place at The Carlisle Grounds

“BWFC” means Bray Wanderers Football Club.

  1. Permission to enter or to remain within the Ground (notwithstanding possession of any ticket) is at the absolute discretion of BWFC, any member of An Garda Síochána or authorised steward. On no account will admission to any Event be granted to any person not in possession of a valid ticket. On no account will admission to a football match be granted to a person who is the subject of a current banning order.
  2. BWFC excludes to the maximum extent permitted by law any liability for loss, injury or damage to persons/property in or around the Ground.
  3. No guarantees can be given by BWFC that an Event will take place at a particular time or on a particular date and BWFC reserves the right to reschedule the Event without notice and without any liability whatsoever.
  4. In the event of the postponement or abandonment of the Event, refunds (if any) should be claimed in accordance with the relevant event organiser’s ticket terms and conditions. BWFC will have no other liability whatsoever, including (but not limited to) any indirect or consequential loss or damage, such as (but not limited to) loss of enjoyment or travel costs.
  5. All persons seeking entrance to the Ground acknowledge BWFC’s right to search any person whether outside or inside the Ground and to refuse entry to or eject from the Ground any person refusing to submit to such a search.
  6. The following articles must not be brought within the Ground – knives, fireworks, smoke canisters, air-horns, flares, weapons, dangerous or hazardous items, laser devices, bottles, glass vessels, cans, poles and any article that might be used as a weapon and/or compromise public safety. Any person in possession of such items will be refused entry to the Ground.
  7. The use of threatening behaviour, foul or abusive language is strictly forbidden and will result in arrest and/or ejection from the Ground. BWFC may impose a ban from the Ground as a result.

7.1 Racial, homophobic or discriminatory abuse, chanting or harassment, or any such banners or flags, is strictly forbidden and will result in arrest and/or ejection from the Ground. BWFC may impose a ban from the Ground as a result.

  1. Conviction of any of the following may result in a banning order being made –

8.1 The throwing of any object within the Ground without lawful authority or excuse.

8.2 The chanting of anything of an indecent or racialist nature.

8.3 The entry onto the playing area or any adjacent area to which spectators ere not generally admitted without lawful authority or excuse.

8.4 Attempting to enter the Ground or being inside the Ground whilst drunk;

8.5 Being in possession of any intoxicating liquor, or can or other portable container and which could cause damage or personal injury, when entering the Ground or in public area of the Ground from which the event can be directly viewed.

  1. All persons entering the round may only occupy the seat/area allocated to them by their ticket and must not move from any one part of the ground to another without the express permission or instruction of any steward, officer of BWFC and/or any member of An Garda Síochána.
  2. Nobody may stand in any seating area whilst play is in progress. Persistent standing in seated areas whilst play is in progress is strictly forbidden and may result in ejection from the Ground.
  3. The obstruction of gangways, access ways, exits and entrances, stairways and like places is strictly forbidden. Nobody entering the Ground shall be permitted to climb any structures within the Ground.
  4. Smoking in No-smoking areas is strictly forbidden.
  5. Mobile telephones and other communications devices are permitted within the Ground provided that they are used for personal and private use only.
  6. Any individual who has entered any part of the Ground designated for the use of any group of supporters to which they do not belong may be ejected from the Ground either for the purposes of their own safety or for any other reason.
  7. No person (other than a person who holds an appropriate licence) may bring into the Ground or use within the Ground any equipment which, is capable of recording or transmitting (by digital or other means) any audio, visual or audio-visual material or any information or data in relation to the Event or Ground. Copyright in any unauthorised recording or transmission is assigned to BWFC.
  8. No goods (including literature) of any nature may be offered either free or for sale by any person within the Ground without the express written permission of BWFC
  9. Tickets are not transferable and may not be offered for sale without the prior written permission of BWFC.   Any tickets offered for sale may be confiscated by any steward or officer of BWFC or any member of An Garda Síochána
  10. At all times while present in the ground, persons must comply with any and all instructions of any steward and/or any member of An Garda Síochána. Failure to comply with any instruction may lead to immediate ejection from Ground.
  11. BWFC reserves absolutely the right to eject from the Ground any person failing to comply with any of the Ground Regulations or whose presence within the Ground is, or could, reasonably be construed as constituting a source of danger, nuisance or annoyance to any other person. This could lead to further action including, but not limited to, a ban from the Ground or proceedings being taken.
  12. Entry to the Ground shall constitute acceptance of the Ground Regulations.
  13.  Contact points for BWFC are –Telephone: + 353-1-2828214 – E-Mail: admin@braywanderersfc.ie – Web: www.braywanderersfc.ieFacebook: www.facebook.com/BrayWanderersFC – Twitter: @BrayWanderers

The Carlisle Grounds can claim to be the League of Ireland League ground with the longest history as a sports venue. Opened in 1862 as the Bray Athletic Ground, it was renamed the Carlisle Cricket and Archery Ground later that year, in honour of the 7th Earl of Carlisle who performed the opening ceremony in his capacity as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. The name was popularly abbreviated to The Carlisle Grounds as early as 1870.

The previous names point to some of the sports it hosted. In addition, there was an indoor roller-skating rink between 1876 and 1880, which was quite an unusual facility. The ground hosted flower shows, croquet and firework displays, often as commercial ventures, but all part of the effort to bring visitors to Bray. Outside, on Seymour road, as well as beside the train station, hackney carriages stood for hire to tour the surrounding countryside.

The Carlisle Grounds was designed by William Dargan a leading engineer William Dargan. Dargan (1799-1867) designed the Esplanade as well as several buildings in Bray, including the International Hotel, which was opposite the Grounds until it was destroyed by fire in 1974. He was the driving force behind many developments. He financed an industrial exhibition in the grounds of Leinster House, and is a hero to all trainspotters as the main engineer behind Ireland’s rail network. Dargan was a patron of the National Gallery, and for this and other achievements he is commemorated by a statue outside the National Gallery in Kildare street, Dublin.

The first World War memorial which is just outside the wall was built in 1929. Many changes have been made to the Grounds in recent years. The playing surface is excellent and well-maintained. New seating was installed on the railway side of the ground in 1999. Early in 2001, Bray Urban District Council granted a 35-year lease in the Grounds to Bray Wanderers FC. The grass bank behind the goals was removed in 2016.

But most of the remainder of the venue dates from 1929, and is due to the efforts of the then resident club, Bray Unknowns. They had played a few seasons at the Carlisle Grounds around 1910. The club re-formed after the first World War and joined the League of Ireland in 1924, playing on the outskirts of Bray. In 1929 they moved back to the Carlisle and carried out substantial changes to the ground in preparation for their return. Unknowns built the main perimeter wall at Quinsborough road as well as the terracing and roof over the old stand (usually called the Shed). They re-laid the playing pitch and railed it off.

The pitch was subsequently re-laid on several occasions. For example, when Transport brought League of Ireland football back to the ground, many CIE staff from Bray and Dublin volunteered to work on the pitch. It’s said that the excellent pitch drainage derives from the use of railway cinders as a base for the pitch at that time!

The first League of Ireland match at the ground in the 1929/30 season was a 2-2 draw between Unknowns and Dundalk. Fred Rogers opened the scoring for Unknowns, William Murray and John Aitken scored for Dundalk, and Johnny Payne equalised. Unknowns lined out: Dunne, Daly, Ebbs, Kane, Mainey, Fennell, Lally, Hogan, Rogers, Payne, Blackford. The referee was a Mr Nicholson, from Wrexham. A big crowd attended.

Bray Wanderers played their first League of Ireland game in September 1985 in the grounds.

Bray Wanderers re-built and strengthened parts of the wall in 1997-99 as part of the plan to improve access to and safety in the ground. They installed new turnstiles on Quinsborough road at the seafront corner and blocked up the old turnstiles along the same wall. A new stand seating 985 was constructed in 2006 bring the seating capacity of the ground up to about 2,000 with an overall capacity of 3,000. The perimeter wall was removed and replaced in 2016.

Rugby League Ireland played against Belgium in an international friendly on Sunday 12 July 2015 winning the match 34-0. They have used the grounds to host Ireland International games since.

The Carlisle Grounds was used in the filming of the Bloody Sunday scene in the 1996 film Michael Collins

Early 2000?s
Early 2000?s
Early 2000?s
1990?s
Early 2000?s
2015