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Transition Year Trip to Croke Park…

Today we went on a trip to Croke Park in Dublin. We arrived And he told us that each of the changing rooms was of the
at the school bright and early to be on the bus and ready same top quality in Croke Park for both teams, as teams from
to go at around quarter to nine. Once everyone was on the abroad also play there. We then saw the indoor practise gym
bus we left for Dublin with our two teachers Ms.Ford and so players could have a quick warm up game before they go
Ms.Trenier. out to their match.
We arrived at Croke Park at around Eleven O’clock. We were Once we were done touring the inside of the stadium we
welcomed to the stadium by the massive statue of Michael moved onto the outside. Our tour guide took us on the
Cusack founder of the G.A.A. And as we entered the doors exact walk that the players would go on from the changing
to the building of Croke Park, we saw massive amounts of rooms out to the pitch on the day of a match. And he told us
G.A.A. Sports club badges from all around the world. to put ourselves in their shoes and pretend there are 85,000
When we got inside the entrance to the stadium we looked people out there waiting for you to go outside and play your
around at the pictures of the founders, and teams that have best.
played at the stadium. We were then introduced to our tour As we walked out onto the pitch there was a soundtrack
guide for the day, and he explained that he wanted to tell of a crowd cheering to create an atmosphere. It was quite
our class a little bit about the history of Croke Park, and surreal walking out onto the pitch and looking at the
wanted us to get a real experience of the famous stadium. massive empty stadium before us, and I could only imagine
We first watched a short ten minute video on the history how nervous anyone would feel walking out to a packed
of Croke Park. We learned about G.A.A. games and that stadium.
the stadium was named after one of its original founders The tour guide then took us to sit in the V.I.P. seats and we
Archbishop Croke of Cashel. After we watched the video learned that this where the President would sit during a
we saw some of the trophies from different finals and we match, and you could only be invited to sit in these seats.
learned that in 1975 the legendary Muhammad Ali fought We then went to sit at the very top of the stadium to get a
in Croke Park and a signed pair of his gloves and shorts are birds eyes view of the stadium, and the guide told us that so
held in a glass case in Croke Park. much work is put into keeping the pitch perfect, they use
After learning some of the History of Croke Park we played machines that hang over parts of the pitch to give it enough
some of the interactive games that were are at the park. There sun light, and they have to use hand lawn mowers, as the
were many games that ranged from everything to test your driving ones would be too heavy to put on the pitch surface.
hand eye coordination, your speed at kicking a football and After this we went to the office the R.T.E. Sport rents. It had a
hitting a sliotar, and also testing how high you can jump to great view of Croke Park with thirty saved seats, but it would
catch a football. Everyone got involved and enjoyed the games. cost you €500,000 a year to rent it!
After we were finished we went onto touring the rest of the That was the end of our trip to Croke Park. We said Thank
stadium. Our tour guide took us outside and showed us You to our Tour Guide and went on a bus to Blanchardstown
where the players would enter the stadium on a match day. to get some lunch and do some shopping for an hour.
We also saw the many sheds that stored all the equipment My class and I had a brilliant Day in Dublin. It was such a
to look after the park.
great experience and we all feel as if we got a true sense of
We then got to see the massive luxurious changing rooms, what Croke Park is, and it was also a trip most of us never
that had everything a player needed from flat-screen TV’s, would have thought of doing before but still really enjoyed!
and mini fridges to beautifully tiled massive power showers.
By Emily McKeon.

The Royal Times 2011-2012 39