Sports Illustrated hails 'jaw-dropping' Croke Park ahead of NFL clash
A general view of Croke Park during the pre-match parade lead by the Artane School of Music before the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship final match between Cork and Tipperary at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile.
Sports Illustrated is commonly known as the ‘Bible of Sport’ such is its reputation as one of the most influential sports journalism publications.
So, it’s quite the compliment that renowned Sports Illustrated writer, Dan Gartland, has hailed this year’s All-Ireland Hurling Final as the most remarkable sporting event he has ever attended.
Gartland was in Dublin last July not just to watch the clash of Cork and Tipperary, but to conduct field research ahead of Sunday’s NFL regular season game between Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park.
His account of the trip which can be read HERE serves as a helpful primer for visiting Americans of the rich history of Croke Park and why it’s such a special cathedral of sport.
“I lost track of how many times I got full-body chills while at Croke Park in Dublin in late July,” writes Lamothe.
“The first time was when a taxi dropped me off at the stadium the day before the All-Ireland senior hurling final, and I saw the enormous stands towering above me. It happened again when I first set foot in the empty stadium as we filmed the latest instalment of our Stadium Wonders video series.
“The chills returned repeatedly the following day, during the final between Cork and Tipperary—when the crowd roared as the two teams paraded around the field in the pregame ceremony, when the fans sang the national anthem in unison, when Cork scored the first point of the match 13 seconds in, and on and on.
“As an Irish American whose interest in sports is primarily rooted in the traditions, history and communal aspects of fandom, it was a dream come true.”
Lamothe has both Cork and Tipperary Irish ancestry so he couldn’t lose on All-Ireland Final Day.
Attending hurling's biggest day satisfied a life’s ambition, and it was everything he hoped it would be and more.
“The All-Ireland senior hurling final in late July between Cork and Tipperary was the most remarkable sporting event I’ve ever attended,” writes Lamothe.
“I spent much of the previous day tFinalking to Irish people who’d come from all over the country for the match about what Croke Park and the GAA means to them.
“From the moment I stepped outside my hotel on game day, the significance was evident. Every pub I passed on the two-mile cab ride to the stadium was jammed with people in Cork and Tipperary jerseys.
“Street vendors sold cords of thread in each team’s colors for supporters to drape around their shoulders, tie around their wrists or knot in their hair—and almost everyone bought one.
“I could imagine these same streets and pubs soon filled with fans wearing NFL jerseys.”
You can watch a video of Sport Illustrated’s visit to Croke Park below.