On a recent episode of the Carlow Soccer Podcast, Peter Harvey joined the hosts for an in-depth discussion about the future of CK United—including ambitions for a third-tier men’s side, a first-team women’s setup, their grounds in Tullow, and most intriguingly, the possibility of restoring Buckley Park.
While CK United have clear plans for local development in Tullow, the conversation about Buckley Park, the former home of Kilkenny City AFC, was particularly interesting. The venue, once a mainstay of League of Ireland football, holds a special place in the hearts of many in the soccer community, both locally and further afield.
In recent years, local club Castlewarren Celtic have worked to keep Buckley Park alive, staging games there despite limited resources. While major upgrades to facilities have remained out of reach, simply seeing fans back in the stands has offered hope for its revival.
That’s a vision CK United share. Speaking on the podcast, Harvey acknowledged the scale of the opportunity—but also the hurdles that remain before anything can be confirmed.
“It’d be massive. It’d be massive for us. I mean, it means that all we have to do is renovate a stadium that’s already sitting there. But we’re not going to confirm or anything until that’s in place. You know, we don’t have it yet,” he said.
“People ask me, I’ve had loads of phone calls, ‘I heard you’ve bought Buckley Park.’ And obviously the answer is no, we haven’t bought Buckley Park. But the day we do buy it, we’ll announce it, we’ll see if we get there. Nothing is done until it’s done as they say. We’ve had conversations.”
Buckley Park’s revival is an idea with broad support in Irish football. Former FAI Commercial Manager Donie Butler has previously been outspoken on local radio about its underuse.
