[8] Previously consisting of two pitches (the second of which was sold off and now contains housing), Solitude is the oldest football ground in Ireland.

On 3 March 1894, after thirteen attempts Ireland, playing at Solitude, finally avoided defeat to England.

[citation needed] The original stand was destroyed in January 1949 when a fire broke out after a Linfield v Glentoran Irish Cup tie.

The match was staged at Solitude as Windsor Park had been closed for a month in the aftermath of the infamous 1948 Linfield v Belfast Celtic Boxing Day tie at which serious crowd trouble erupted.

Cliftonville are hoping to secure funding to replace the Main Stand with a modern fit for purpose structure.

Floodlights Installed as part of a floodlight improvement project funded by the Irish Football Association through the UEFA HatTrick II Assistance Programme, Solitude’s new 800 lux constructions stand at 35 metres in height and were used for the first time in Cliftonville’s 4-0 defeat of Linfield on September 21, 2009.