Croke Park..
Croke Park is the biggest stadium in Ireland and the fourth largest in Europe. It is the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and has pride of place at the heart of Irish sporting life. Built on a site purchased by the GAA in 1913, the stadium stands on 700 000 square feet of land, in the Irish capital. It is a contemporary design offering a unique and exciting location for sporting events.
In 1993, a complete reconstruction of the stadium was undertaken, the biggest single venture ever by an Irish sporting organisation. When the stadium opened its gates in late June 2002, it was the culmination of more than 15 years of planning, development and construction, transforming the venue into one of the most modern stadiums in Europe.
The new stadium is world-class and offers visitors spectacular views, as well as and array of eating, shopping and entertainment options. It also offers spaces for private dining, product launches, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, training courses, meetings and other corporate events. In June 2003 Croke Park played host to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Special Olympics. It has also hosted concerts by U2, Tina Turner and Garth Brooks.
Croke Park takes great pride in its history. It is named in honour of the association's first patron, Archbishop Croke of Cashel. The original Hill 16 stand in the stadium was built from the rubble left in Sackville Street (now O'Connell Street) after the 1916 rising. The GAA was founded in 1884, by a group of Irishmen with the goal of establishing a national organisation to preserve and promote traditional Irish pastimes; it now has over 2 500 clubs in Ireland alone. In 1998 the GAA Museum was opened in Croke Park, to commemorate this great history.
The stadium is located in Dublin 3, on the north side of the city.
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