The Official Ulster Colleges GAA Website - Sponsored by BTPáirc Esler formerly Páirc an Iúir (also called The Marshes) is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the home of the Down Gaelic football and hurling teams and the Newry Shamrocks GAA club[1].
The ground has a capacity of about 20,000. In recent years the ground has under gone major redevelopment work, with new stands, floodlights , new pitch all added in 2006/2007. From 1999 to 2004 no senior intercounty championship matches were played at the venue.
After the development of a new terrace at the Canal end of the ground and a new stand on the south side of the ground, Down hosted the All Ireland Champions, Tyrone, in round 2 of the football championship qualifiers. The following year both Fermanagh and Derry visited the ground in the qualifiers, Down losing to the latter.
The ground was closed after the Down v Armagh game in Division 1B of the National Football League in March 2006 for further development[2]