John O'Sullivanon why the old field steeped in memories will prove a difficult act to follow

The celebrated English artist John Constable once observed, "I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may - light, shade and perspective will always make it beautiful."

Ireland rugby players, past and present, would largely empathise with Constable's viewpoint when the topic of Lansdowne Road is broached.

The oldest ground in Test rugby is scheduled to be demolished in the New Year and from the rubble will rise a paean to 21st-century sports stadia. Time has long overtaken the current structure, rendering it obsolete and scruffy by modern standards.

The dull, dank concrete shell and primitive "facilities" are mired in another generation, but for those that see past the edifices, Lansdowne Road is not framed by stands or terraces but by rugby matches and the memories they invoke.

This assertion is underlined in conversation with players - from the current Ireland captain, Brian O'Driscoll, to another centre and Irishman who would be recognised as the greatest player of his generation, Mike Gibson.

O'Driscoll rails against any suggestion Lansdowne Road has long since lost its appeal and charm, describing it as a special place: "It may be an Irish thing but there is a strong bond between team, supporters and stadium."

It is a perspective Gibson supports in the following analogy: "When I changed teams and joined the crowd I was really conscious of the reaction of the supporters and importance it has to the players. It's a joint effort where players must play to a standard and show a requisite level of skill and commitment. This is recognised by the crowd who sustain that support and noise levels throughout the game."

He cites a game in 1965 when Ireland managed a 3-3 draw with France. The previous year they had been overwhelmed in Paris and at that time traditionally struggled to deal with the French. It was the first time he'd heard a din like it during an international; the fact Ireland were playing well introduced the crowd as an element in the contest.

"The sound came over the field in waves. It was really emotional. Mick Doyle, who scored Ireland's try on his debut, was in tears and so were other players. We still had half an hour to play."

Catching a first glimpse of Lansdowne Road when strolling to watch Ireland play still triggers memories in his mind's eye. The butterflies reappear, recalling what he felt as a player: a passion for the sport and for an Ireland team he graced on 69 occasions.

The cacophony of sound, facilitated by the design of the stadium, is not lost on visiting players. Prior to Australia's 1991 World Cup quarter-final against Ireland, Simon Poidevin, the first man to win 50 caps for the Wallabies, warned several of his team-mates who had never played at the Dublin venue that they would not have experienced anything like the noise.

He described it as the noisiest Test arena he had ever come across, going on to say that he loved it as a venue: "You could barely hear yourself think let alone speak."

The bespoke passion of Irish teams in generations past was a reference as much to the support at Lansdowne Road as to the traditional Irish virtues on the pitch.

Ireland have won eight Triple Crowns - but the first time they clinched one at Lansdowne Road was 1982 - and there have been sundry other triumphs.

Parts of the ground have been renamed in honours of players, perhaps none more compelling than Currow Corner, a section of the in-goal area where the West Stand meets the Havelock Square terrace.

It is so named because three boys from a single Kerry parish, Mick Doyle, Moss Keane and Mick Galwey, all scored tries there in the green of Ireland.

Doyle's came against Wales (1968), Keane's against Scotland (1980). Galwey's was the seminal moment in 1993 when Ireland denied England a Grand Slam with a 17-3 victory.

Memories are not always green-tinged, as those who witnessed the Test between Ireland and New Zealand in 1989 will attest. Ireland captain Willie Anderson decided to upstage the pre-match haka by marching his players forward, arms linked, until his nose and that of the New Zealand captain, Wayne "Buck" Shelford, touched.

Judging by the several pronounced kinks in the green line, some of the Irish players embraced this gesture more readily than others. It was hardly surprising; the All Blacks were not a team to be trifled with, especially Shelford.

In a game against France, following some overly vigorous rucking, Shelford lost four teeth and noticed his scrotum had been ripped open. Undaunted, he trotted from the field and had the wound stitched before returning to the fray.

In an interview many years after the incident Anderson explained why he challenged the haka in such a manner: "They were throwing down the gauntlet and we were accepting it.

"Coach Jimmy Davidson and myself thought of the idea on the run-up to the game. The All Blacks were getting all the cheers as they were doing the haka. So we decided that if we met them head-to-head, the crowd would get behind us. It worked too. The atmosphere at the game was fantastic. We were really inspired, and played way above ourselves.

"Okay, they won well in the end (23-6), but I still feel it was worth it.

"Nobody said anything after the game, although it proved quite a talking point for the crowd and the media. But the All Blacks and Wayne Shelford, in particular, appeared completely unfazed by the incident."

The media rather sniffily castigated Anderson's gesture as a mark of disrespect, but Shelford took no umbrage.

"The haka is a challenge, and they accepted it," he said. "It was as simple as that. I certainly did not mind. I suppose it did rile our boys. They played well that day."

A controversy that carried a greater resonance for the people of Ireland was the arrival of the South African team in early January, 1970. There was strong resistance from the anti-apartheid movement, politicians, trade unions and many ordinary citizens. The anti-apartheid movement organised a massive march to, and peaceful demonstration outside, the stadium, but the match went ahead. It ended in an 8-8 draw, with heavy security prevalent inside and outside the ground.

Scotland and Wales refused to turn up in 1972 because of the unrest and violence in the North and thereby perhaps denied what was an exceptional Ireland team a Grand Slam.

Incidentally, on the only occasion Ireland did manage to win a Grand Slam (1948), inspired by Jack Kyle, their crowning glory came at Ravenhill against Wales.

It is not just Irish players that have captivated the Lansdowne Road faithful; the greatest exponents of world rugby have visited the venue through the generations. The ground also hosted a World Cup semi-final (1991), when the Australians, who had broken Irish hearts in the aforementioned previous round, beat New Zealand before going on to claim the William Webb Ellis trophy at Twickenham.

Lansdowne Road awaits its international curtain call tomorrow afternoon when Ireland and the Pacific Islands stage a Test match finale.

For generations of Irish players it's not about the bricks and mortar of the stadium but rather about a playing environment that has fired the soul.

That is why the new stadium, whenever it is completed, will have a heritage and tradition to maintain. A stadium is dead, but Lansdowne Road will endure.