BEGINNINGS

The origins of Gaelic games predate recorded history. Bardic sources provide an insight into the character of the pre-GAA games. Hurling predominates, but there are also references to football. Fragments of the ancient Brehon Laws show that hurting was regulated from at least the eighth century. After the Norman invasion of the 12th century, hurling was proscribed by the English Crown. Foreign visitors to Ireland in the 17th and 18th centuries noted that hurting and football occupied an important place in the social life of the community.

At 3.00 p.m. on Saturday 1st November 1884, a small group of men, at least seven and possibly as many as fourteen, met in the billiard-room of Miss Hayes's Commercial Hotel in Thurles, and there founded the Gaelic Athletic Association for the Preservation and Cultivation of National Pastimes. The seven founder members were Michael Cusack, Maurice Davin (who presided) John Wyse Power, John McKay, J. K. Bracken, Joseph O' Ryan and Thomas St. George McCarthy Also admitted later by Cusack to have been present was Frank Moloney of Nenagh, while the following six names were published as having attended by the more detailed press reports of the time: William Foley, - Dwyer, - Culhane, William Detehunty John Butler and William Cantwell.

The proceedings in Hayes Hotel were brief. Davin took the chair, and in a brief speed called for a body to draft rules to help revise Irish games and to open athletics to the man in the street. Cusack and Power proposed and seconded Davin as president of the new association, and the meeting then elected Cusack, Power and McKay secretaries. The meeting adjourned after agreeing to ask Archbishop Croke, Charles Stewart Parnell and Michael Davitt to become patrons, with instructions to the new officers to draft rules.

CROKE PARK

The site upon which Croke park now stands was originally owned by Maurice Butterly in the 1870's and was known as the "City and Suburban Racecourse". The GAA became one of the grounds most frequent users and in 1908 Frank Dineen purchased the 14-acre site for the handsome sum of 3,250 pounds. The GAA subsequently purchased the site from Frank Dineen in 1913 for 3,500 pounds and immediately renamed the ground Croke Park in honor of the association's first patron Archbishop Croke of Cashel.

Over the subsequent 40 years Croke Park was developed and redeveloped in an ad hoc manner as finances allowed. The Railway End, also known as Hill 16 was constructed from the rubble left in Sackville Street (now O'Connell Street) after the 1916 rising. The first Hogan stand (named after Tipperary footballer Michael Hogan) was built in 1924 and followed by the construction of the Cusack stand (named after Michael Cusack) in 1937. Tne Canal End terrace was constructed in 1949 and was subsequently followed by the construction of the Nally stand (Named after Pat Nally) in 1952.

The reconstruction of the stadium at Croke Park currently underway is by far the most impressive and ambitious development ever undertaken in relation to the GAA national stadium. The 'New Stand' which replaced the Cusack Stand, is 180 meters long, 35 meters high, seats 25,000 people and contains 46 hospitality suites. There are three layers from which viewing games is possible: the main concourse, a premium level incorporating hospitality facilities and finally an upper concourse. The premium level contains excellent facilities such as restaurants, bars and conference areas, all of which contribute to making this new development of the most impressive stadiums in Europe. Phase two of the development completed in 1998 final phase of the project being the redevelopment of the Hogan and Nally stands. The finished stadium has a capacity of 79,500

1947-THE FINAL IN THE POLO GROUNDS, NEW YORK

Gaelic Games followers in America had for years been pleading for the privilege of seeing the All-Ireland Senior Football Final played in New York. The appearance of Cavan and Kerry at the Polo Grounds in 1947 fulfilled their dream.

The two teams traveled by different means to New York. The Cavan party mainly traveled by air, while their Kerry opponents opted to travel by sea. The victorious Cavan players were later to comment on the advantage of travelling by air as it gave them more time at home with their training and preparation for the final. The historic game was played on the 14th September in the Polo Grounds, New York, home of the New York Giants Baseball team, on a bone hard dry pitch in blistering sunshine before a disappointing attendance of 34,941. Kerry were the red-hot favorites with the bulk of the attendance.

Kerry took the sensible precaution of wearing white, jockey-type caps as protection against the blazing sun and built up a commanding eight-point lead against a rather nervous Cavan side but the Beffini men fought back for a famous victory winning 2-11 to 2-7.

The New York Football Final of 1947 saw the game transmitted live back to Ireland by Radio Eireann with Micheal O' Hehir providing the commentary. It was to be the legendary broadcaster's most famous match commentary. The broadcast was scheduled for one hour but O'Hehir, on air, pleaded with the authorities not to cut him off but to give "five more minutes" to complete the broadcast of the game. Thankfully the authorities obliged.

Fifty years later the GAA authorities approved a proposal to bring the same two teams back to New York, this time to play a normal round of the National Football League to commemorate the historic 1947 final. With the Polo Grounds no longer in use the game was played in Downings Stadium on Randall's Island in New York City. © Gaelic Athletic Association.