Athletic running track for Croke Park

lostexpectation

The stadium’s senior management has commissioned a feasibility study to see if the plan could be a runner. The track, if it goes ahead, would involve alterations to either the Hill 16 or Canal End of the stadium to allow for retractable seating to cover the track on match days.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article6788875.ece

The problem for us would be getting the 100m stretch with a bend at either end of it. The question is really how far into the Hill we would have to go with it,” he said.

nitial concerns that the Croke Park pitch would not be wide enough for a track have been allayed, with McKenna suggesting that the track could be overlaid with sods of turf on match days to complete the playing surface.

wanna see usain bolt for croke park?

Random

I hate running tracks around stadiums. In most of them they just take you further from the action and separate the crowd / teams too much.

If it's a case where the track will be compltely hidden on match days though... without any disadvantages to the games ... they I see no reason not to.

Mushy

Dublin 2024 Olympics

Dublinproud

Sure they have whored the old lady out to anyone and everyone so why not! Maybe they will have as much luckk as they had with the new pitch.

Riskymove

Dublinproud wrote: »

Sure they have whored the old lady out to anyone and everyone so why not! Maybe they will have as much luckk as they had with the new pitch.

exactly...concerts, american football, soccer, rugby....now track and field ....why not???


money talks

Euro_Kraut

While it may be posssible to do this, I can't see 80,000 people attending a track and feild event with the exeception of the World Athlethics Championships. Gran Prix Events will not fill Croke Park. National Championships will not fill Croke Park.

The trend in other countries has been to taken away running tracks in thier Stadium. Bayern Munich built a brand new one and Dresden completly rebuilt thier old stadium to bring the fans closer.

Its good that the GAA are constably looking at new avenues for Croke Park. Not sure this is the way to go though.

homerjay2005

is a no goer. the pitch is too big to have a running track. would mean too many alterations and a poor pitch.

lostexpectation

they say want to get back to the athletic part of the GAA, so are the GAA funding athletics elsewhere?

Flukey

lostexpectation wrote: »

wanna see usain bolt for croke park?

If he can go at his usual speed with a hurley in his hand and a sliotar balanced on it, then yes.:)

ricflair

Absolutely pointless putting in a running track in Croke Park. First of all Croke Park is not your traditional field venue in that it is exceptionally wide particularly when you view it from the Canal End never been on the hill side. Therefore in order to put a track one would have to dig up the sidelines to fit the track in. Secondly what is the point of a track in general. Athletics in Ireland is a joke with the exception of two men (Hession, Gillick) and how are they going to fill the stadium anyway. Nobody wants to see a grand prix with a bunch of skeleton kenyans racing each other and such a race is unlikely ever going to Ireland given the standard of their athletes.We have enough quality athletes in Croke Park as it is. I predict that the likes of Brian Dooher, Paul Galvin, John Miskellaetc are far better athletes than these 'athletes' than run in Irish running championships. Croke Park is for real sports .

Flukey

As to whether a running track would be a good idea in Croke Park, well I am not so sure about that. Although nowadays we don't associate the GAA with athletics, at one time there was a very strong link. It is not called the Gaelic Athletic Association for nothing. Most GAA people know who Croke, Cusack, Davin and Hogan were. A lot of GAA people don't know that the Nally Stand was named after Pat Nally, a great athlete. Michael Cusack said he did more to influence him to set up the GAA than any other person. He was not at the founding meeting of the GAA, as he was in jail at the time. The Tailteann Games, a famous athletics event, were held in Croke Park in 1924, 1928 and 1932. It is said that the ancient Tailteann Games were one of the influences of the Olympic Games.

Stealdo

Flukey wrote: »

As to whether a running track would be a good idea in Croke Park, well I am not so sure about that. Although nowadays we don't associate the GAA with athletics, at one time there was a very strong link. It is not called the Gaelic Athletic Association for nothing. Most GAA people know who Croke, Cusack, Davin and Hogan were. A lot of GAA people don't know that the Nally Stand was named after Pat Nally, a great athlete. Michael Cusack said he did more to influence him to set up the GAA than any other person. He was not at the founding meeting of the GAA, as he was in jail at the time. The Tailteann Games, a famous athletics event, were held in Croke Park in 1924, 1928 and 1932. It is said that the ancient Tailteann Games were one of the influences of the Olympic Games.

The GAA was at one time the governing body for athletics in Ireland.

Bord Luthchleas Eireann was an off shoot of the GAA although as far as I am aware there are no official ties any more.

Pride Fighter

ricflair wrote: »

Absolutely pointless putting in a running track in Croke Park. First of all Croke Park is not your traditional field venue in that it is exceptionally wide particularly when you view it from the Canal End never been on the hill side. Therefore in order to put a track one would have to dig up the sidelines to fit the track in. Secondly what is the point of a track in general. Athletics in Ireland is a joke with the exception of two men (Hession, Gillick) and how are they going to fill the stadium anyway. Nobody wants to see a grand prix with a bunch of skeleton kenyans racing each other and such a race is unlikely ever going to Ireland given the standard of their athletes.We have enough quality athletes in Croke Park as it is. I predict that the likes of Brian Dooher, Paul Galvin, John Miskellaetc are far better athletes than these 'athletes' than run in Irish running championships. Croke Park is for real sports .

What utter bullshit. There are several athletes in this country of a high standard and I was at the recent national athletic championships. Have you ever heard of Derval O'Rourke, Eileen O'Keefe, Thomas Chamney, Alan O'Brien, Mark Kennealy, Kelly Proper, David Campbell. You are talking nonsense. There are several good athletes in Ireland. Even the non-funded athletes run 12 times a week. I'd like to see you try that.

helpisontheway

I tought about replying to that ridiculous post by Ricflair before you last night pridefighter but wasnt calm enough.I know Paul Galvin and also went to school with him and he is probably one of the most athletic footballers in the country but he still wouldnt put a patch on me as an athlete,no mind Paul Hession,Derval O Rourke etc:D
As for athletics not being a real sport last time i looked GAA wasnt in the Olympics.:eek:
GAA is a fantastic sport and has some fantastic GAA athletes but please dont make yourself sound foolish with posts like yours Ricflair comparing them to Irelands top athletes who are competing at the WORLD stage.