achievement v Croke park

maestroamado

I was in the local the other night and we were chatting about football. It transpired during the course of our chat that quite a few seen getting to play in Croke park was the achievement and there seemed to me as much and more emphesis on this than having a medal or cup at the end of a perticular campaign. It seemed that the majority were of this opinion and i found this interesting and i decided to put it here to see what the general view is.

Many thanks

Clareman

I think this stems back to the old Championship format where to play in Croke Park you had to have won the provincial championship, I remember the Clare footballers running out on the pitch in 92 was a huge thing in Clare, my father had never seen Clare on Croke Park up until then and it was huge for him

Tiocfaidh Armani

Clareman wrote: »

I think this stems back to the old Championship format where to play in Croke Park you had to have won the provincial championship, I remember the Clare footballers running out on the pitch in 92 was a huge thing in Clare, my father had never seen Clare on Croke Park up until then and it was huge for him

Yeah happens all the time now, don't think it's a big deal anymore really. I played there twice for my school and it was one of the greatest days of my life. Great thing to be able to say.

Pride Fighter

There are only a select few who get to play in Croke Park. As my fellow mod said only provincial champions got to play in Croker up until recently. In the club game only the Junior/Intermediate/Senior finalists in club hurling and football get to play there. In Intercounty there are many counties who's current panel have not played in Croke Park ever. I'm thinking Leitrim, Cavan, Waterford, Tipperary in the football (although I think all of them have been in Croker in the distant past, Cavan and Tipp have many AI titles) and most counties in hurling have not been in Croke Park either.

It is a major achievement to play there. Although I agree with your point. I would not bother playing, unless I thought I could win.

DoctaDee

Tipperary had the privilege of playin in Croker last year against da Dubs in qualifiers !!

daddydick

Pride Fighter wrote: »

There are only a select few who get to play in Croke Park. As my fellow mod said only provincial champions got to play in Croker up until recently. In the club game only the Junior/Intermediate/Senior finalists in club hurling and football get to play there. In Intercounty there are many counties who's current panel have not played in Croke Park ever. I'm thinking Leitrim, Cavan, Waterford, Tipperary in the football (although I think all of them have been in Croker in the distant past, Cavan and Tipp have many AI titles) and most counties in hurling have not been in Croke Park either.

It is a major achievement to play there. Although I agree with your point. I would not bother playing, unless I thought I could win.

Correct, Waterford played a league final there in 2010 while Tipp played Tommy Murphy Cup Final in 2005 and played Dublin there in 2010.

Its good that more teams are able to play there with the opening up of both championships

bren2001

I'd hand over all my medals to play a match in Croke Park. Ive played in parnell park in front of quite a small audience and it was surreal.

Flukey

I suppose it depends on where you come from, both in terms of county and your grade. Obviously it is not such a big thing for the good players in the top counties, but even in the likes of Kerry and Kilkenny there are players that will never get near Croke Park. Then you'll have people on college teams and junior teams etc. whose chances of reaching there are slim too. So for someone like those to make the breakthrough against the odds to get through with their own team or get picked to play on a bigger team, it is something special to run out on the hallowed turf to play.

DoctaDee

Flukey wrote: »

........Then you'll have people on college teams and junior teams etc. whose chances of reaching there are slim too.....

20 odd years later and I'd just about forgotten our S/F loss to Armagh CBS in Croker .. thanks a fackin million !! *sobs*

ontheditch2

I would retire the day after i played in croke park.

For fellas with ambitions to play on county teams, win all irelands, they might think that is stupid, but my ambition is just to make the senior team in my club, which i haven't done this year.

To play one match in Croke Park, and i could retire from the GAA a happy man.
Thankfully, i have had the opportunity to be on the sideline for a match one time, so that will do me.

I have given up on the idea of actually playing there.

rebel girl 15

I think a lot of players would give anything to play in Croke Park, myself included. I had the privilege of refereeing one of the mini games at half time during the Junior ladies all Ireland final - and it was unreal. I have one tinchy regret on the day - as we were coming around in the parade, I had the match ball in front of the Canal end, and I was very tempted to kick it over the bar myself. I'd give anything to get back on that pitch - I'm never going to get there as a player, but even to referee again or manage a team there would be fantastic.

Its something that is unreachable for a huge number of players, which is why it is seen as such an achievement to play in Croke Park

Big Ears

As much as it is a huge honour to play in Croke Park, something which I'd love to do but probably never will. I would much prefer to have the medals than get to play there.

I think the 1984 Cork hurling team would probably agree.

daddydick

Big Ears wrote: »

As much as it is a huge honour to play in Croke Park, something which I'd love to do but probably never will. I would much prefer to have the medals than get to play there.

I think the 1984 Cork hurling team would probably agree.

Obviously any team would rather have won a Senior All-Ireland Medal instead of playing a game in Croke Park.

I think the spirit of the thread is asking about the club players and "lesser" inter-county players and their desire to play in HQ.

Big Ears

daddydick wrote: »

Obviously any team would rather have won a Senior All-Ireland Medal instead of playing a game in Croke Park.

I think the spirit of the thread is asking about the club players and "lesser" inter-county players and their desire to play in HQ.

Ya true enough alright but I think (for me anyway) it would be all dependent on the reason for playing there. If it was just some half-time activity during an inter-county game then I wouldn't swap my U12 North C hurling medal for it. In essence you'd have accomplished nothing to play there and therefore the actual act of getting to play there is greatly diminished. If I had to win some matches in order to play there that would be a different story.