Jewel in the crown

The new-look Croke Park was unveiled this summer, with some hailing it is as the greatest stadium in the world.

Despite its amateur status, the GAA remains the leading sporting organisation in this country. As if to underline this fact, the Association unveiled a magnificent new stadium this summer, which is comparable to the best in the world.

The new-look Croke Park is undoubtedly the jewel in the GAA's crown. Boasting state-of-the-art facilities and a capacity of just under 80,000, it literally takes your breath away each time you visit. Many thought it was an impossible dream, but the GAA's ambitious nature ensured that it has become a reality.

Croke Park may be an ultra-modern stadium, but it is also steeped in history. The site upon which the stadium is constructed was originally owned by Maurice Butterly in the 1870s and was known as the “City and Suburban Racecourse.” The GAA became one of the ground's most frequent users and first used it for All-Ireland finals on March 15, 1896 (Tiperary v Meath in football and Tipperary v Kilkenny in hurling).

In 1908, Frank B. Dineen, who was both General Secretary and President of the GAA in the late 1800s, purchased the 14-acre site for £3,250.

Dineen held it until such time as the Association raised sufficient funds. They eventually paid £3,641 to Dineen and on September 17, 1917, GAA Ltd. was incorporated as owners of the grounds. They immediately renamed it as Croke Park in honour of their first patron, Archbishop Croke of Cashel.

Over the next 40 years, the Jones' Road venue was developed and redeveloped when finances allowed. Hill16, or the Railway End, was constructed from the rubble left in Sackville Street (now O'Connell Street) after the 1916 Rising. The first Hogan Stand, named after Tipperary footballer Michael Hogan who was shot dead at the ground during a challenge between Tipperary and Dublin on November 21, 1920 (Bloody Sunday), was constructed for the first Tailteann Games in 1924.

The Cusack Stand, named after GAA founding member Michael Cusack, was opened in 1938. The Canal End terrace was built in 1949 and was followed by the construction of the Nally Stand (named after Paddy Nally) three years later. The second Hogan Stand was opened in 1959 with the new Hill 16 following in 1989.

In the early 1990s, the GAA announced ambitious plans to transform Croke Park into the stadium it is today. The Cusack Stand was demolished shortly after the 1993 All-Ireland football final between Derry and Cork. It was replaced by a magnificent three-tier structure, which has become known as the New Stand.

The New Stand is 180 metres long, an astounding 35 metres high, seats 25,000 spectators and contains 46 hospitality suites. The structure heralded a new era in spectator comfort and playing facilities within the GAA.

Phase two of the redevelopment commenced in late 1998 and involved extending the New Stand to replace the Canal End. This development was completed within two years.

In the latter part of 1999, the demolition contractors returned to dismantle the Hogan Stand. It was replaced with a similar structure to the New Stand, giving Croke Park its horse-shoe effect. As well as incorporating the same facilities as the other two stands, the third Hogan Stand also houses an impressive press facility.

The total cost of the three-sided development has been estimated at approximately EUR150 million with the necessary finance being raised through the sale of executive suites, premium seats, term tickets, Gover-nment aided grants via the National Lottery and the balance via loans. It is worth noting that in relation to the New Stand, the sale of seats in the corporate/executive sector generated almost 50 per cent of the project, but only occupies 12 per cent of the capacity.

The New Stand also incorporates a major high technology museum, which was opened in mid-1998. The museum acts as a link between past, present and future of the GAA, and in so doing, pays tribute to the people and events which were so influential in shaping the Association's past, while also conveying a vision of the GAA of the future to its visitors.

The first big game to take place in the revamped Croke Park was the meeting of old rivals Dublin and Meath in the Leinster SFC in June. The game attracted an attendance of 66,000, setting the tone for a bumper season for the GAA.

When Dublin met Kildare in the Leinster final a few weeks later, the attendance had swelled to 78,000, making it the biggest crowd to watch a GAA match since 1963. The Dubs would have three further outings in Croke Park during the summer, crashing the 79,000 attendance barrier each time. The All-Ireland football final between Armagh and Kerry attracted an attendance of 79,500, while 76,254 turned up for the hurling decider between Kilkenny and Clare.

The second International Rules test between Ireland and Australia in October was watched by 71,000 spectators. This was a record attendance for any international sports fixture played in Ireland. The record attendance for a GAA game remains 90,556 for the 1961 All-Ireland football final between Down and Offaly.

The new-look Croke Park is embellished by a splendid new playing surface which was also in use for the first time this year. The playing dimensions of the pitch have also been widened.

The GAA's next objective for Croke Park is to extend Hill 16 to accommodate 5,500 extra fans - giving the stadium an overall capacity of 85,000. The plans, which are the fourth and final phase of the redevelopment, encompass the demolition of the Nally Stand and the Hill 16 terrace, and the construction of a new terrace, together with an elevated control centre. However, the recent announcement by the Government that funding promised to the GAA may not be forthcoming is likely to delay the project. Due to objections from residents in the area, planning permission could also prove difficult to obtain.

The debate about whether the GAA should make Croke Park available to other sports has received extensive media coverage in recent times. The Government are anxious that Croke Park be included in the joint Irish-Scottish bid to stage the 2008 European soccer championships. Given the high maintenance and running costs of Croke Park, it may make sense for the GAA to open the stadium's doors to soccer and rugby. But the bottom line is that Croke Park is the GAA's property and there should be no interference from outside bodies.

These are boom times for the GAA, with further evidence of this provided last August when the Association announced that all of its 8,500 premium level seats in Croke Park have been snapped up. Gaelic games have never been so popular and Croke Park is a perfect showpiece for the games.Gilroy McMahon

Architecture - A Portrait
The architects for Croke Park, Gilroy McMahon, are one of Ireland's leading designers of buildings. They have won all the top design awards in architecture including the RIAI Gold Medal which is presented once every three years by the President of Ireland.

The work output is remarkably versatile. Along with Croke Park, Europe's finest modern stadium, they have been responsible for quite a few of the country's important buildings. Recently they completed Glór, the National Centre for the Performance of Irish Music in Ennis. Specifically designed as a traditional music venue, it has been launched to a dazzling reception from musicians and audiences alike.

Gilroy McMahon's building tend to be innovated. Currently they are designing the new courts on Ormond Quay to accommodate the quite different social impact of recent advances in Family Law. Later this year they will be awarded the RIA Triennial Silver Medal for Conservation in the National Museum at Collins Barracks, a feat even more remarkable given that they were required to totally remanipulate the old barracks building to create Ireland's foremost modern museum.

Taken from Hogan Stand Annual 2003