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 It is a decade and a half since the demolition of the old Cusack Stand heralded the beginning of a substantial redevelopment programme at Croke Park in Dublin. Since then, the impressive stadium has become a prominent feature of the north Dublin skyline. It is a monument to more than a century of successful promotion of the national games and their place in the social fabric of Ireland. But Croke Park is more than just a sports stadium…
It’s no longer just fans and supporters who travel to Croke Park. The Croke Park Conference Centre has become one of the country’s leading conference and exhibition venues. In May Croke Park worked with the Department of Foreign Affairs to host one of the largest and most historic conferences ever held in Ireland – the Cluster Munitions Dublin Diplomatic Conference (pictured below). The conference – aimed at banning cluster bombs all over the world – attracted 900 delegates from more than 130 countries. After 10 days of painstaking negotiations, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which should save thousands of lives for decades to come, was formally adopted.
This is one of a number of international, domestic and local events that are attracted to the venue by its excellent facilities and the welcome that awaits them. Facilities are ideally suited for anything from a large conference to a small meeting, an awards ceremony to an exhibition, and all suites offer natural daylight and fantastic views over the pitch and stadium.
 Recent additions to the facilities include a business centre and an impressive range of more 200 plasma screens that can be used for the display of logos and presentations. This is in addition to ceiling-mounted multimedia projectors and large projection screens in the conference suites, broadband, wi-fi, electronic blackout and lighting hanging points in the largest suites, which feature six-metre-high ceilings.
The Hogan Suite is the largest suite in the venue – and indeed in the city centre – with capacity for up to 800 theatre-style or 600 for dining. This is just one of an impressive tally of six suites and 87 meeting rooms at Croke Park, all of which offer unique spaces and multi-purpose facilities.
The GAA Museum, located in the Cusack Stand, provides event organisers and delegates with an opportunity to take time out of their busy conference schedules to amble through a living history of Ireland’s principal sporting and cultural organisation. Stadium tours are also available to take delegates around the venue to the dressing rooms, media centre and pitchside, and these can be tailored depending on how much time is available. The GAA will be celebrating 125 years in 2009, and there will be a full calendar of events in the museum to commemorate and celebrate this great occasion.
 Another major plus is the availability of accommodation adjacent to the stadium. The four-star Jurys Croke Park Hotel offers 232 bedrooms directly opposite the Hogan Stand. The hotel is very popular with event organisers who want to avoid the morning traffic and allow themselves quick access to the venue on the day of their event.
Croke Park is an outstanding example of a sports venue successfully combined with a multiplicity of different business and leisure facilities. With the added attraction of rugby, soccer and concerts, Croke Park is receiving ever-greater international recognition and becoming even more popular as a venue for conferences, meetings and exhibitions from Ireland and abroad.
Contact
Telephone: +353 (0)1 819 2330
Email: events@crokepark.ie
Website: www.crokepark.ie
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