Site redevelopedTrack & field Greyhound racing Partially verified

Celtic Park

New York, New York · Field

Celtic Park in Sunnyside, Queens, was the home grounds of the Irish American Athletic Club from 1898 until 1930, when it was sold for an apartment complex.

Opened: 1898
Closed: 1930
Demolished: 1930
Capacity: 2,500

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History

Opened in 1898 and rebuilt in 1900–1901, Celtic Park became the home of the Irish American Athletic Club, whose athletes won Olympic titles in the hammer, shot put, marathon and middle distances. Martin Sheridan set a reported world record in the discus there in 1910, and Jim Thorpe won the 1912 AAU all-around title on its track.

The grounds also hosted Gaelic games and, from 1928, greyhound racing. The site was sold on February 22, 1930, and the Celtic Park Apartments were built on it from 1931.

Why it matters: Training and competition ground of the 'Irish Whales' and other early Olympic champions.

Timeline

1898
Opened[1]
Celtic Park opened in Sunnyside, Queens.
May 30, 1901
Reopened after rebuild[1]
The park reopened after a 1900–1901 rebuild.
1910
Sheridan discus record[1]
Martin Sheridan threw the discus 142 feet 2 inches, reported by The New York Times as a world record.
1912
Thorpe wins AAU all-around[1]
Jim Thorpe won the AAU All-Around championship there.
1928
Greyhound racing[1]
The grounds were leased to the New York Greyhound Racing Association.
February 22, 1930
Site sold[1]
The City and Suburban Homes Company bought the site for apartments.

The site today

Physical status	Site redeveloped[1]
Current use	Celtic Park Apartments[1]
Mapped location	Former venue site

Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)

Teams & events

Irish American Athletic Club	1904–1930

Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.

Venue facts

Location	New York, New York
Venue type	Field
Sports	Track & field, Greyhound racing
Level	Amateur athletics
Opened	1898[1]
Last used for sports	1930[1]
Demolished	1930[1]
Physical status	Site redeveloped
Final capacity	2,500[1]
Capacity notes	Grandstand 2,500 per Wikipedia's infobox; major events drew 15,000 or more.
Owner / operator	Irish American Athletic Club[1]

Documented details

Olympic champions associated with the club included John Flanagan, Pat McDonald, Matt McGrath, Mel Sheppard and Johnny Hayes.[1]
The grounds also hosted Gaelic football and hurling matches.[1]

Sources

Celtic Park (Queens), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19
Supports: capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, owner operator

Research confidence

Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.

Where sources disagree (1)

Grandstand capacity: infobox 2,500; a 1931 recollection gives 8,000.

See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.

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