A new attendance record at the revamped Gaelic Grounds will be set this afternoon when the Limerick county grounds hosts its first Munster hurling final in 12 years. Since the Ennis Road venue was redeveloped at a cost of EUR12 million in 2004, the attendance has only twice exceeded 30,000 and that was for the first and third instalments of last summer's trilogy between Limerick and Tipperary. But for this weekend's big clash between Tipperary and Clare, about 45,000 around expected at the 49,500 capacity stadium. Opened in 1928, the Gaelic Grounds was the first GAA venue outside Croke Park to attract over 50,000 spectators in the mid-1950s. With the addition of the old Hogan Stand from Croke Park in 1958, the capacity of the stadium was increased and in 1961 a record 61,174 witnessed the Munster hurling final between Cork and Tipperary. The Mackey Stand was developed at a cost of EUR1.2 million in 1988 and while the Gaelic Grounds continued to attract 40,000-plus attendances throughout the 1990s, it has been vastly under-utilised in recent years. However, Limerick GAA will finally get the chance to showcase its new-look headquarters this weekend when the eyes of the nation will be on it. Tweet

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