Croke Park - Home of the Gaelic Athletic Association

Croke Park, or 'Croker' as it is known by locals, is not only the finest stadium in Ireland, but also one of the finest stadiums in the whole of Europe. The stadium has a capacity of 82,500, the fourth largest in Europe, and is the largest stadium under the ownership of a amateur sporting organization in the world. Croke Park is widely used throughout the year, but particularly during the summer during the All-Ireland Gaelic Football and Hurling Championships.

Croke Park stands on ground that was originally the Jones Road sports ground which was an athletics ground. The sports ground was used by the GAA after its foundation in 1884 for Gaelic Games and in 1896 the All Ireland Hurling and Football Championships were held there. The GAA recognized the importance of the ground, and Frank Dineen who was a member of the GAA borrowed £3,250 to purchase the grounds in 1908. The ground was purchased from Dineen by the GAA in 1913 and became known as Croke Park in honor of Archbishop Thomas Croke who was one of the premier patrons of the GAA.

In 1913 Croke Park had two stands where Hogan Stand now stands, and the rest of the ground was surrounded by a grassy bank. After the Easter Rising, rubble from Dublin City Center was brought to Croke Park and used to build a grassy hill on the railway end of Croke Park. This hill allowed spectators better views of the pitch, and became immortalized as Hill 16, presumingly the '16' referring to the 1916 rising. The 'Hill' is the famous viewing platform for the Dublin supporters and today holds 13,000 spectators.

During the 1920s the GAA set about building a high capacity stadium at Croke Park. In 1936 the double decker Cusack Stand was opened, In 1952 the Nally Stand was opened and in 1959 the new Hogan Stand was opened. The new Cusack Stand was built in 1966. The highest ever attendance at Croke park was 90,556 during the 1961 Senior Football Final between Offaly and Down. Croke Park remained unchanged for several decades until it was decided to completely redevelop the ground in 1991.

The design for the new Croke Park was split into four phases. Special considerations based on the way and speed that Gaelic Games are played at had to be taken into consideration, and resulted in a three tiered design. The project took 14 years to complete and had included premium level vantage points which had bars and restaurants. While the development of the ground has been completed for the moment, there is speculation that future development will include a roof for the stadium. During early 2007 floodlights were added to the stadium.

During 2003 the Special Olympics opening and closing ceremony was held in Croke Park. During 2007 the Irish Six Nations rugby clashes with France and England will be held in Croke Park and the Republic of Ireland soccer games against Wales, Slovakia, Germany and Cyprus during the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road. Without doubt Croke Park is one of the finest stadiums in the world, and an ideal showcase for Irish sport.