Welcome to Croke Park Hotels! Our goal is to provide the best options for your hotel stay in the beautiful areas of Dublin, IE! Whether your trip is for business or pleasure, we strive to provide exceptional service from the start of our secure online reservation system to the last night of your hotel stay! Our top-rated hotels ensure a comfortable atmosphere, and are often located near popular attractions, shopping centers, and local night-life activities! Whatever your visit to Dublin entails, we're sure you'll find our informative Dublin Guide and hotel booking options useful!
Origin of Croke Park
Croke Park is a sports stadium in Dublin, Ireland. As such, it has primarily been used to host Gaelic games such as hurling and Gaelic football. Originally known as "Jones Road," this stadium was used by the Bohemian Football Club of Dublin from 1893 until 1895. As the host of both All-Irelands in 1896 and the IFA Irish Cup Final in 1901, the stadium became a favorite with the Gaelic Athletic Association, or GAA. Purchased by the GAA in 1913, the stadium was renamed to Croke Park in honor of one of its first patrons, Archbishop Thomas Croke.
Bloody Sunday and Michael Hogan
The stadium became the scene of what is now known as "Bloody Sunday," on November 21, 1920, during a Dublin-Tipperary Gaelic football match, when 14 people were killed by the Royal Irish Constabulary and the British Auxiliary Division as they raided it during the Irish War of Independence. As one of the dead that day, the Tipperary captain, Michael Hogan, was posthumously honored with a stand built in his name.
Croke Park Restorations and Refurbishments
Following the addition of the double-decker Cusack Stand in 1936, the Nally Stand in 1952 and the new cantilevered Hogan Stand in 1959, Croke Park hosted the Offaly vs. Down in 1961 to a record 90,556 in attendance. Since that time, Croke Park has undergone several renovations to become a three-tier structure with an upper concourse, hospitality facilities and floodlighting.
Croke Park as Major Venue
Following the relaxation of GAA rule number 42, Croke Park achieved a world record when it hosted the Heineken Cup in 2009 with 82,208 in attendance. Now the third largest stadium in the European Union, Croke Park has hosted a total of 14 major international concerts since 1996.
