National Forum

Croke Park expansion

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Replying To Fionn:  "https://www.rte.ie/sport/boxing/2026/0415/1568341-taylors-promoters-set-for-croke-park-talks-on-friday/

Hopefully getting closer....."
Not if her father keeps spouting rubbish about the GAA... https://www.thesun.ie/sport/16826501/katie-taylor-croke-park-undercard-row-dad-pete/

The GAA owes Katie Taylor nothing. Eddie Hearn would be as well stay at home if that's going to be the negotiating tactic.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 2026 - 16/04/2026 15:30:06    2666800

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "How many times is Pairc Ui Chaoimh full per year? It has been full about 3 times since it was renovated and two of them were Ed Sheeran.
How many times are Gaelic Grounds, Thurles, and so on full per year?
Its not proposing a fancy project, its proposing a 10-15k expansion to an live ground which is adequately sized to host games which are having the life drained out of them in Croke Park.
Either that or its time to say home and away for Leinster Finals and cry me a river if you can't get in, or play Leinster Finals in Thurles. No point playing Galway Kilkenny on a Saturday evening with 25k in Croke Park."
Adding 10-15k to any of the current grounds outside Dublin WILL require the demolition of one or more stands / terrace, thus reducing capacity to increase it. Even if you're to do a bare minimum job with one decent stand that can hold 10k, it's €100mil. And that's assuming the stand / terrace you knock has a very very low capacity. Nowlan Park can supposedly hold 27k. Looking at a picture of the ground, it looks to be a tight site. Probably unsuitable for any further development. O'Moore & O'Connor probably would be suitable in some way but you're looking ay knocking one or more stands to make way for a two tier stand. All very fanciful stuff, but it will not happen outside Dublin. The GAA is not going to spend 100mil to have a stadium hold possibly 5 games a year.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 2026 - 16/04/2026 16:03:38    2666807

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "How many times is Pairc Ui Chaoimh full per year? It has been full about 3 times since it was renovated and two of them were Ed Sheeran.
How many times are Gaelic Grounds, Thurles, and so on full per year?
Its not proposing a fancy project, its proposing a 10-15k expansion to an live ground which is adequately sized to host games which are having the life drained out of them in Croke Park.
Either that or its time to say home and away for Leinster Finals and cry me a river if you can't get in, or play Leinster Finals in Thurles. No point playing Galway Kilkenny on a Saturday evening with 25k in Croke Park."
There were 35k odds at the last 2 Leinster finals.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19377 - 16/04/2026 17:05:16    2666819

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "How many times is Pairc Ui Chaoimh full per year? It has been full about 3 times since it was renovated and two of them were Ed Sheeran.
How many times are Gaelic Grounds, Thurles, and so on full per year?
Its not proposing a fancy project, its proposing a 10-15k expansion to an live ground which is adequately sized to host games which are having the life drained out of them in Croke Park.
Either that or its time to say home and away for Leinster Finals and cry me a river if you can't get in, or play Leinster Finals in Thurles. No point playing Galway Kilkenny on a Saturday evening with 25k in Croke Park."
Tell us where exactly you'd fit an extra 10,000 to 15,000 temporary seats into Portlaoise?

There are roads around three sides of the ground, and little or no room behind the terraces to go back and up with seating.

So, that just leaves the main stand side. It currently holds around 6,500. You want to put in twice as much again, as temporary seats. That'd mean scaffolding up to the height of the current stand, and then either two more decks of maybe 6,000 each, or else one big deck to hold say 12,000, that would probably go nearly halfways across the pitch at the back, not to mention removing many of the parking spaces there. And all this temporary seating would be just waiting for Billy & Johnny to come and take it away in a few weeks' time.

I'd rather be standing at the other side of the ground myself, than sitting somewhere like that.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3555 - 16/04/2026 17:14:41    2666822

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Replying To Viking66:  "There were 35k odds at the last 2 Leinster finals."
And the atmosphere 2 years ago was really poor although our first half probably caused a lot of that!
https://www.killarneytoday.com/first-steps-to-make-stadium-a-world-class-venue/
77m to revamp the whole stadium. In Killarney. How many games will Killarney get a year? One v Cork every other year and club matches? How can that be justified?
I've no idea how justifiable it is or not but I'd have to say its something Leinster GAA should look into. Our plum fixture are getting lost in a half full stadium.

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1635 - 16/04/2026 18:26:53    2666827

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Replying To ExiledInWex:  "And the atmosphere 2 years ago was really poor although our first half probably caused a lot of that!
https://www.killarneytoday.com/first-steps-to-make-stadium-a-world-class-venue/
77m to revamp the whole stadium. In Killarney. How many games will Killarney get a year? One v Cork every other year and club matches? How can that be justified?
I've no idea how justifiable it is or not but I'd have to say its something Leinster GAA should look into. Our plum fixture are getting lost in a half full stadium."
Been saying it for the last few years, we need to be spending more money at grassroots level trying to get participation up nationwide, and forget about white elephant vanity projects.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19377 - 17/04/2026 06:51:50    2666867

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Replying To Viking66:  "Been saying it for the last few years, we need to be spending more money at grassroots level trying to get participation up nationwide, and forget about white elephant vanity projects."
Louth at long last building their own County grounds,.
Casement might get built in some form by 2030....
After that maintain/improve the existing stadia and as you say look after grass roots.

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 518 - 17/04/2026 12:21:01    2666907

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Replying To Viking66:  "Been saying it for the last few years, we need to be spending more money at grassroots level trying to get participation up nationwide, and forget about white elephant vanity projects."
A Dome in each province and a full size 4g (with 2k covered seating) per county would be a better used of funds

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1778 - 17/04/2026 13:28:21    2666916

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "A Dome in each province and a full size 4g (with 2k covered seating) per county would be a better used of funds"
Would fully support that.

ExiledInWex (Dublin) - Posts: 1635 - 17/04/2026 14:28:07    2666935

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "A Dome in each province and a full size 4g (with 2k covered seating) per county would be a better used of funds"
I'd agree with that, for all the criticism that the Connacht council gets, the Dome is worth it's weight in gold (even if it had to be rebuilt). Dublin & Cork probably should have their own given population but more domes would be better than none.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 2026 - 17/04/2026 14:50:53    2666942

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Here's a point for anyone who continues to insist that we "need" a place like Portlaoise to hold 40,000 people, because a crowd of 35,000 to 40,000 is "lost" in Croke Park:

With a 35,000 attendance, Croke Park is still 43% full.
Most matches in Portlaoise don't even attract 5,000. That'd be less than 12.5% full.
Are you not equally worried about all those other matches where the crowd would be "lost" in a ground built to hold 40,000? Would Laois GAA not "need" another stadium built specifically to hold 5,000 or 6,000?

Or - ever been to a club match in Thurles with an attendance around 3,000 to 5,000? They're equally "lost" in Semple Stadium.
Why no calls then that Tipperary GAA "needs" a different venue to take these matches, instead of putting them into a 90% empty cavern?

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3555 - 17/04/2026 15:03:03    2666946

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Replying To Square_B:  "Not if her father keeps spouting rubbish about the GAA... https://www.thesun.ie/sport/16826501/katie-taylor-croke-park-undercard-row-dad-pete/

The GAA owes Katie Taylor nothing. Eddie Hearn would be as well stay at home if that's going to be the negotiating tactic."
https://www.rte.ie/sport/boxing/2026/0428/1570621-croker-or-nowhere-as-deal-nears-for-taylors-final-bout/

Hopefully Katie gets her wish for her Final fight to be held in Croke Park.

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 4902 - 28/04/2026 14:41:44    2669541

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Here's a point for anyone who continues to insist that we "need" a place like Portlaoise to hold 40,000 people, because a crowd of 35,000 to 40,000 is "lost" in Croke Park:

With a 35,000 attendance, Croke Park is still 43% full.
Most matches in Portlaoise don't even attract 5,000. That'd be less than 12.5% full.
Are you not equally worried about all those other matches where the crowd would be "lost" in a ground built to hold 40,000? Would Laois GAA not "need" another stadium built specifically to hold 5,000 or 6,000?

Or - ever been to a club match in Thurles with an attendance around 3,000 to 5,000? They're equally "lost" in Semple Stadium.
Why no calls then that Tipperary GAA "needs" a different venue to take these matches, instead of putting them into a 90% empty cavern?"
It might be 43% full but it feels empty. You know that, so do we all.
Wexford Park when a club match is on feels empty, while you can get a better atmosphere in Bellfield or Ferns say there is no doubt the pitch in Wexford Park is superior, or used to be any way. I would guess the same for Thurles, there are smaller venues in Tipp as well.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 2011 - 29/04/2026 10:28:09    2669699

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Replying To Fionn:  "https://www.rte.ie/sport/boxing/2026/0428/1570621-croker-or-nowhere-as-deal-nears-for-taylors-final-bout/

Hopefully Katie gets her wish for her Final fight to be held in Croke Park."
The wish that would be fulfilled is Hearn getting a huge boost to his profit if he manages to get GAA or the taxpayer to foot his costs!

Hence the point of all the browbeating,

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4241 - 29/04/2026 11:46:39    2669721

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "It might be 43% full but it feels empty. You know that, so do we all.
Wexford Park when a club match is on feels empty, while you can get a better atmosphere in Bellfield or Ferns say there is no doubt the pitch in Wexford Park is superior, or used to be any way. I would guess the same for Thurles, there are smaller venues in Tipp as well."
Your point more or less supports mine.

Wexford Park is typically no more than about 33% full even for a Club Senior Hurling Final. But there are no calls of "the place feels empty, so we really need a different "proper" venue to hold 6,000 or 8,000 and have a better atmosphere there with a near sell-out crowd".

But matches that bring a 43% crowd to Croke Park are hit with "the place feels empty, we need somewhere else for this sort of thing".

I'm just pointing out the contradiction there.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3555 - 29/04/2026 12:26:35    2669731

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Replying To Fionn:  "https://www.rte.ie/sport/boxing/2026/0428/1570621-croker-or-nowhere-as-deal-nears-for-taylors-final-bout/

Hopefully Katie gets her wish for her Final fight to be held in Croke Park."
No disrespect whatsoever to Katie Taylor, but I have to wonder if she really would attract 80,000 to Croke Park, particularly if tickets aren't priced relatively cheaply.

And seems that according to others here, no point in fighting in Croke Park if the actual crowd would "only" be around 35,000 to 40,000. Sure the place would feel empty....!

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3555 - 29/04/2026 12:33:23    2669734

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Replying To Fionn:  "https://www.rte.ie/sport/boxing/2026/0428/1570621-croker-or-nowhere-as-deal-nears-for-taylors-final-bout/

Hopefully Katie gets her wish for her Final fight to be held in Croke Park."
But not at the expense of the GAA, if Eddie can't stump up the money, the Aviva is available but I can't see that being much cheaper.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 2026 - 29/04/2026 12:52:56    2669739

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I did reply regarding the promoter but it didnt get through.


In summary it will take a financial compromise from all parties to get this over the line.

If the double header people are talking about, is to happen - it will definitely Sell Out.

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 4902 - 29/04/2026 13:09:07    2669744

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Replying To Square_B:  "I'd agree with that, for all the criticism that the Connacht council gets, the Dome is worth it's weight in gold (even if it had to be rebuilt). Dublin & Cork probably should have their own given population but more domes would be better than none."
All this talk about stadia expansion - having been to to the new Connacht Rugby Clan Stand - this is the way to go from a design point of view for any new development imo. 3 tier - terrace, seats and hospitality.
Even the new Anglesea Stand at the RDS Arena has 3 levels, inc hospitality. Although is has 2 levels of seating.

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 4902 - 29/04/2026 13:20:01    2669747

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Replying To Fionn:  "I did reply regarding the promoter but it didnt get through.


In summary it will take a financial compromise from all parties to get this over the line.

If the double header people are talking about, is to happen - it will definitely Sell Out."
Why would the GAA have to compromise? The event list for 2026 is done & dusted... this is icing on the cake. The GAA is in a position of strength, she badly wants the venue. Not being funny but the GAA owes Katie nothing.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 2026 - 29/04/2026 13:25:44    2669750

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