The last stand

Newry-based John Tinnelly & Sons Ltd. were responsible for the demolition of the Hogan Stand. Here we talk to Joseph Lonergan and Austin O¹Hare about the company¹s involvement in the latest phase of Croke Park¹s development.

There has been a noticeable change in the skyline around Jones’ Road of late. The third phase of the development of Croke Park, which commenced the week after last year’s All-Ireland ladies showpiece between Mayo and Waterford, included the demolition of the Hogan Stand and rubble is all that remains of the 16,000 seater double-decker. Work on its replacement, a replica of the Cusack Stand, has already begun and it will link the new stand on the far side of the pitch and the stand at the Canal End.

This is the third time the best known stand in Irish sport has undergone a facelift. It was originally built in 1924 and, by present day standards, was a modest, small wooden structure with a seating capacity of 1,400. The stand was, of course, dedicated to the memory of Michael Hogan, the Tipperary footballer who had been shot dead by the Black and Tans while representing his county against Dublin on 21 November, 1920.

Construction on the stand as we knew it began in 1957 and, when completed two years later, it replaced both the old Hogan Stand and the Long Stand. The Railway Cup hurling final of 1959, between Munster and Connacht, marked its official opening. The legendary Christy Ring stole the show on that occasion, scoring 4-5 as the southern province lifted the crown. Incidentally, the old structure was relocated to Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds and it remained there until the construction of the Mackey Stand which was officially opened in 1988.

The development of Pairc An Chrocaigh into one of the world’s premier sporting venues is the jewel in the crown of the GAA’s evolution. The cost of the entire project will be in the region of £150 million and, when completed, will boast a spectator capacity of approx. 84,000 and will be the envy of all other sporting organisations.

All at Tinnelly Demolition, the company responsible for the demolition work on the Hogan Stand, are, understandably, proud of their contribution.

“Even when walking along the front of the empty stand, prior to commencement of demolition, you could almost detect the deafening resonance that would have greeted past finalists,” remarked Contracts Surveyor Joseph Lonergan. “Associated too, with such memories, would have been the unforgettable commentary of Micheal O Hehir.”

Contracts Manager Austin O’Hare added: “We’re very proud to be associated with this development and the GAA. When completed, Croke Park will be able to take its place amongst the finest stadia in the world. It will be a stadium that all its members can be proud of and we are, like everyone else, really looking forward to seeing it in its new glory.”

Demolition of the Hogan Stand presented a formidable challenge to John Tinnelly and Sons Ltd.. Its close proximity to the adjacent works and that of other properties, including the railway, necessitated meticulous pre-planning by contracts management prior to work commencing.

The principal components comprised 15,000 tonnes of densely reinforced concrete supporting some 400 tonnes of steel frame and roof, all enclosed with 6,500m of asbestos cement sheeting.

“Removal of the latter was the first major task,” explained Austin. “All the sheeting had to be carefully dismantled and lowered by crane to a prepared base, where it was immediately double wrapped and transported to a licensed disposal location in Germany. Continuous air monitoring took place over this stage of the work and at no time was there ever an occurrence of hazardous airborne dust.”

Subsequent to the asbestos removal, all steelwork was taken down in sections after being cut away by oxy/propane torches. Finally, the concrete structure was systematically broken away and removed.
Reassuringly, in these days of environmental awareness, the steel frames and majority of reinforcement was cut to manageable sections, loaded and exported to England for recycling. In addition, the concrete, when broken up, was transported off site for crushing and re-use in suitable projects.

Established in 1959, John Tinnelly and Sons Ltd. has successfully undertaken many large scale demolition projects ranging from sports stadia to factories to high rise dwelling blocks. In addition to demolition, they also provide the specialist services of asbestos analysis and removal as well as facade retention. It is not without justification that the Company objective is that of providing ‘Demolition at the Cutting Edge’.

The demolition of the Hogan Stand is one further success story in the history of work undertaken by the ever burgeoning Newry-based company.

“Great pride is taken in completing such a contract within programme and without incident, in terms of health and safety,” remarked Austin. “This achievement has been due, in large, to the excellent team spirit developed between John Sisk and Son Ltd. (the development’s main contractors) and ourselves.
“Everything is going extremely well for the company at the moment. We’ve a lot of work already on the books while we’re continuously tendering for more. We’re looking forward to a very good 2000.”

Patrick Tinnelly is MD of Tinnelly Demolition and is an active member of the St. Bronagh’s club in Rostrevor, home of Down county stars Peter McGrath (manager), Finbarr Caulfield, Aidan Farrell, Liam Austin and Leo Murphy. Many members of the company also follow the fortunes of the Rostrevor club. Needless to say, they are all are looking forward to a Mourne County All-Ireland success in front of the newly erected Hogan Stand in 2001!