Sporting heritage of a past era

Dear sir - Do your readers know where cock fights or bull runs were once held in Ireland? Does your county have architecturally interesting or politically charged areas where sport has been played? Boston College in Ireland is working with the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism to chart the history of Ireland"s sporting heritage. Our aim is to record the physical places and spaces which have played host to Ireland"s leisure time in the last 150 years. Sport is a crucial aspect in bringing together communities, parishes, towns, cities, counties and countries. We would like to hear from your readers about the facilities which are important to them. Some of these may have been temporary locations, some will no longer be in use as sports grounds and some will be very well known and thriving locally or nationally. We are not just interested in open spaces but in venues such as boxing clubs, billiard halls and handball alleys. We are also interested in locating private facilities in the grounds of institutions such as schools and hospitals. Has your community erected a bridge or monument to a sporting great? Get in touch and you can help us to build a comprehensive picture of a century and a half of Irish sport. Email Higgins@irishsportingheritage.com, telephone (01) 614 7452 or write to the address below. Yours, Dr Roisín Higgins, Irish Sporting Heritage, Boston College-Ireland, 42 St Stephen"s Green, Dublin 2.