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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. The GAA subsequently purchased the site from Frank Dineen in 1913 for £3,500 and immediately renamed the ground Croke Park in honour 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 one of the original founders of the GAA Michael Cusack) in 1937. The Canal End terrace was constructed in 1949 and was subsequently followed by the construction of the Nally stand (Named after Pat Nally) in 1952. Since these initial buildings, reconstruction and redevelopment of various sections of the ground have taken place.
Croke Park is at the heart of Irish sporting life. In 1993 a grand plan to completely reconstruct Croke Park was unveiled. This redevelopment has been the biggest single venture ever undertaken by an Irish sporting organisation.
Now a world-class stadium, Croke Park is the largest stadium in Ireland and the fourth largest stadium in Europe. Muhammad Ali fought here, Tina Turner and U2 performed here and the best of Australia's AFL talent have played here. In June 2003 the world was welcomed to Croke Park when it played host to the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies of the Special Olympics World Summer Games.
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