Croke Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Location |
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| Area: | Dublin 3 |
| County: | Dublin |
| Country: | Republic of Ireland |
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Facility Statistics |
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| Broke Ground: | 1884 |
| Opened | 1913 |
| Renovated | 2004 |
| Surface : | Grass |
| Owner: | Gaelic Athletic Association |
| Original Construction Cost: | |
| Reconstruction Cost: | € 260 million |
| Architect: | Gilroy McMahon |
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Capacity |
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| Capacity: | 82,500 |
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Dimensions |
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| Dimensions: | 144.5 m x 88 m |
Croke Park (Irish: Páirc an Chrócaigh) in Dublin, Ireland is the largest sports stadium in Ireland and the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Ireland's biggest sporting organisation. Since 1884 the site has been used primarily by the GAA to host Gaelic Games, most notably the annual finals of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and Senior Hurling Championship. Music concerts by major international acts have also been held in "Croker", as it is often called, and it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2003 Special Olympics. During the refurbishment of Lansdowne Road the stadium is also hosting the Irish national rugby union and soccer teams. Following a redevelopment program started in the 1990s, Croke Park has a capacity of 82,500,[1] making it the forth largest stadium in the EU and the largest stadium in the 2007 Six Nations Championship.
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[edit] History
The area now known as Croke Park was originally an Athletics Course known variously as the City and Suburban Racecourse and "Jones Road" Sportsground. It was originally owned by Maurice Butterly. From the foundation of the association in 1884 this sportsground was used by the organisation regularly for Gaelic Games and Athletics. In 1896 both All-Irelands were played in the ground signifying the growing importance of the suburban plot for the ever expanding GAA. Recognising the potential of the Jones Road sportsground a journalist and GAA member, Frank Dineen, borrowed much of the £3,250 asking price and bought the ground personally in 1908. Only in 1913 did the GAA come into exclusive ownership of the plot when they purchased it from Dineen for £3,500. Once bought, the ground became known as Croke Park in honour of Archbishop Thomas Croke, one of the GAA's first patrons.
In 1913 Croke Park had two stands on what is now known as the Hogan stand side and grassy banks all round. In 1917 the rubble from the Easter Rising in 1916 was used to construct a grassy hill on the railway end of Croke Park to afford patrons a better view of the pitch which by now hosted all major football and hurling matches. Immortalised as Hill 16 it is perhaps one of the most famous terraces in the world.
On November 21, 1920 Croke Park was the scene of a massacre by the Auxiliary Division. British army auxiliaries – nicknamed the Black and Tans – entered the ground, shooting indiscriminately into the crowd killing 14 during a Dublin-Tipperary gaelic football match. The dead included 13 spectators and one player, Michael Hogan. The latter, Tipperary's captain, gave his name posthumously to the Hogan stand built four years later in 1924. These shootings, on the day which became known as Bloody Sunday, were possibly a reprisal for the assassination of 14 British Intelligence officers, known as the Cairo Gang, by Michael Collins' squad earlier that day.
In the 1920s the GAA set out to create a high capacity stadium at Croke Park. Following the Hogan Stand, the Cusack Stand, named after Michael Cusack from Clare (who founded the GAA and served as its first secretary), was built in 1927. 1936 saw the first double-deck Cusack Stand open with 5,000 seats, and concrete terracing being constructed on Hill 16. In 1952 the Nally Stand was built in memorial of Paddy Nally, another of the GAA founders. Seven years later, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the GAA, the first cantilevered "New Hogan Stand" was opened.
The highest attendance ever recorded at an All-Ireland Senior Football Final was 90,556 at the 1961 Offaly v Down final. Following the introduction of seating to the Cusack stand in 1966, the largest crowd recorded since has been reduced to 82,516.
[edit] Stadium design
In the 1980s the organisation decided to investigate ways to increase the capacity of the old stadium. The design for an 80,000 capacity stadium was completed in 1991. Gaelic Sports have special requirements as they take place on a large field. A specific requirement was to ensure the spectators were not too far from the field of play. This resulted in the three-tier design from which viewing games is possible: the main concourse, a premium level incorporating hospitality facilities and finally an upper concourse. The premium level contains restaurants, bars and conference areas. The project was split into four phases over a 14-year period.
[edit] Phase one
The first phase of construction was to build a replacement for Croke Park's Cusack Stand. Completed in 1995 at a cost of £35 million, the new stand is 180 metres long, 35 metres high, has a capacity for 25,000 people and contains 46 hospitality suites. The new Cusack Stand contains three layers from which viewing games is possible: the main concourse, a premium level incorporating hospitality facilities and finally an upper concourse.
[edit] Phase two
Phase Two of the development commenced in late 1998 and involved extending the new Cusack Stand to replace the existing Canal End terrace. It is now going to be known as The Davin Stand, after Maurice Davin, the first president of the GAA.
[edit] Phase three
Phase Three saw the building of the new Hogan Stand. This required a greater variety of spectator categories to be accommodated including general spectators, corporate patrons, VIPs, broadcast and media services and operation staff. Extras included a fitted-out mezzanine level for VIP and Ard Comhairle (Where the dignatories sit) along with a top-level press media facility. The end of Phase Three took the total spectator capacity of Croke Park to 69,500.
[edit] Phase four
After the 2003 Special Olympics, construction began in September 2003 on the final phase, Phase Four. This involved the redevelopment of the Nally Stand and Hill 16 into a new Nally End/Dineen Hill 16 terrace. It was officially opened by the then GAA President Seán Kelly on March 14, 2005. For logistical reasons (and, to a degree, historical reasons), and also to provide cheaper high-capacity space, the area is a terrace rather than a stand, the only remaining standing-room in Croke Park. Unlike the previous Hill, the new terrace was divided into separate sections – Hill A (Cusack stand side), Hill B (behind the goals) and the Nally terrace (on the site of the old Nally Stand). The fully redeveloped Hill has a capacity of around 13,000, bringing the overall capacity of the stadium to 82,500. This made the stadium the fourth-largest in the European Union, after the Nou Camp in Barcelona, Wembley Stadium in London, and the San Siro in Milan.
[edit] Future expansion
Although the stadium has completed all four phases, there is speculation that future development will include a roof for the stadium. The Hill 16 end is unlikely to be developed further in the near future with a second upper tier (in line with the other 3 sides) due to the proximity of the railway line and the fact that there are houses immediately behind the raised wall on which the rail line runs meaning the GAA would have to buy a street of houses to expand Hill 16 to anything more than a terrace.
[edit] Pitch
The pitch in Croke Park is a Desso GrassMaster pitch which was laid in 2002 replacing the existing grass pitch. This is a modern development in pitch design which couples natural grass with a stitching of synthethic fibres. The close proximity of the stitching and the natural grass roots growing around the stitching is what gives the pitch its stability and is the key to the success of this type of surface. The system is employed in a number of English football stadia, including Anfield (Liverpool), Boleyn Ground (West Ham United), Madejski Stadium (Reading), Adams Park (Wycombe Wanderers) and Villa Park (Aston Villa).
Since January 2006, a special growth and lighting system called the SGL Concept has been used to assist grass growing conditions, even in the winter months. The system, created by Dutch company SGL (Stadium Grow Lighting), helps in controlling and managing all pitch growth factors, such as light, temperature, CO2, water, air and nutrients.[2]
[edit] Floodlighting
With the 2007 Six Nations clash with France and possibly other matches in subsequent years requiring lighting the GAA installed floodlights in the stadium. Indeed many other GAA grounds around the country have started to erect floodlights as the organisation starts to hold games in the evenings, whereas traditionally major matches were played almost exclusively on Sunday afternoons. The first game to be played under these lights at Croke Park was a National Football League Division One match between Dublin and Tyrone on 3 February 2007[3] with Irelands Six Nations match with France following on 11 February.[4] Temporary floodlights were installed for the American Bowl game between the Chicago Bears and the Pittsburgh Steelers on the pitch during the 1990s
[edit] Controversy on playing non-Gaelic Games
There is great debate in Ireland regarding the use of Croke Park for sports other than those of the GAA. As the GAA was founded as a nationalist organisation to maintain and promote indigenous Irish sport, it has felt honour-bound throughout its history to oppose other, rival or "foreign" sports.
Up until the early 1970s, rule 27 of the GAA constitution stated that a member of the GAA could be banned from playing its games if found to be also playing soccer, rugby or cricket. That rule was abolished but another rule, #42, still prohibited the use of GAA property for games with interests in conflict with the interests of the GAA. The belief was that rugby and soccer were in competition with football and hurling, and that if the GAA allowed these sports to use their ground it may be harmful to Gaelic games. Therefore rule #42 has been taken to mean the sports of Rugby Union and Association Football as the playing of three games of American Football (two between Notre Dame and Navy, and an American Bowl game between the Chicago Bears and the Pittsburgh Steelers) on the pitch during the 1990s showed.
On 16 April 2005, a motion to temporarily relax rule #42 was passed at the GAA Annual Congress. The motion gives the GAA Central Council the power to authorise the renting or leasing of Croke Park for events other than those controlled by the Association, during a period when Lansdowne Road – the venue for international soccer and rugby matches – is closed for redevelopment. The final result was 227 in favour of the motion to 97 against, 11 votes more than the required two-thirds majority.
In January 2006, it was announced that the GAA had reached agreement with the FAI and IRFU to stage two Six Nations games and four soccer internationals at Croke Park in 2007 and in February 2007, use of the pitch by the FAI and the IRFU in 2008 was also agreed.[5] These agreements were within the temporary relaxation terms, as Lansdowne Road will still be under redevelopment until early 2009. However the GAA also said that hosted use of Croke Park would not extend beyond 2008, irrespective of the redevelopment progress.
11 February 2007 saw the first Rugby Union international to be played there. Ireland were leading France in a Six Nations clash, but lost 17-20 after conceding a last minute (converted) try.
A second match between Ireland and England on 24 February 2007 caused controversy – partially because of the singing of the British National Anthem God Save the Queen. [6] Ultimately the anthem was sung without interruption or incident, and applauded by both sets of supporters at the match, which Ireland won by 43-13 (their largest ever win over England, in rugby).
On the 24 March 2007 the first soccer match took place at Croke Park. The Republic of Ireland took on Wales in a Euro 2008 Qualifier, in which a Stephen Ireland goal secured a 1-0 win for the Irish in front of a crowd of 72,500. Prior to this, the IFA Cup had been played at the then Jones's Road Ground in 1901, but this was before the GAA took ownership.
- Further information: List of Non-Gaelic Games played in Croke Park
[edit] See also
 Rugby pitch laid out on the larger Gaelic football pitch |
 Six Nations Championship at Croke Park |
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 Hogan Stand |
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
- Australian rules football
- Camogie
- International Rules
- Gaelic Athletic Association
- Gaelic football
- Hurling
- Handball
- Sport in Ireland
- Stadiums of Ireland
[edit] References
- ^ CROKE PARK REDEVELOPMENT. Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
- ^ http://www.sglconcept.com
- ^ http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=381819702&size=l
- ^ Dublin and Tyrone look set to play under lights. Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
- ^ "Croker to host rugby and soccer in 2008". Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
- ^ Some spoke out against it – including family of Joe Barrett who withdrew the player's significant medal collection from the museum at the venue as a mark of protest. Many people, including Irish rugby coach Eddie O'Sullivan, incorrectly pointed out that it had already been sung at the venue, at the Special Olympics opening ceremony, and attracted no comment or protest then[[1]]. However, this repeated assertion has since been proven to have no basis in truth. Anthems for every individual competing nation in the Special Olympics were not aired, as confirmed by the GAA's Information Officer, Feargal McGill[[2]]. When this was brought to the attention of popular radio host Matt Cooper of the Lastword (who had repeated the myth many times on his show) on the eve of the match, he had a researcher look into the matter for him, and found that indeed the anthem had not been played[[3]], and conceded, on air, that he, along with many others, had been mistaken in stating otherwise.
[edit] External links
- Official Webpage
- Unofficial Webpage
- GAA Webpage - Croke Park
- sportsvenue-technology.com Webpage
- Google Satellite view of Croke Park
- Croke Park Undersoil Heating
| All-Ireland Senior Football Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
|
2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 Connacht Championship - Leinster Championship - Munster Championship - Ulster Championship |
| All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
|
1887 | 1888 | 1889 |
| GAA Stadiums with capacity greater than 25,000 |
|---|
| Breffni Park | Casement Park | Croke Park | Cusack Park | FitzGerald Stadium | Gaelic Grounds | Healy Park | McHale Park | Nowlan Park | O'Moore Park | Pearse Stadium | Páirc Uí Chaoimh Semple Stadium | St. Jarlath's Park | St. Tiernach's Park | Wexford Park |
| Six Nations rugby stadiums |
|---|
| England - Twickenham (London) | France - Stade de France (Saint-Denis) | Ireland - Croke Park (Dublin) |
| Italy - Stadio Flaminio (Rome) | Scotland - Murrayfield (Edinburgh) | Wales - Millennium Stadium (Cardiff) |
