Fencing to be erected at Hill 16 end of Croke Park

THE GAA have decided to erect fencing at the Hill 16 end of Croke Park because in the words of president Christy Cooney, the association felt “there was no other option”. For a number of years there has been increasing alarm about the threats to health and safety posed by post-match crowd invasions.

A safety presentation to this year’s annual congress made the argument so forcefully that delegates unanimously approved steps to bring to a halt the practice of rushing onto the playing field at the end of finals.

The fencing, measuring nearly three metres, will be introduced for the second of this month’s All-Ireland football semi-finals and will be in place for the upcoming finals in both hurling and football. The Northern End of the ground has been identified as the initial source of pitch incursions.

“It’s the last option for us,” said Cooney yesterday about the decision taken at the weekend by the GAA’s management committee and central council. “We’re taking the least option that we could find in ensuring we’re not putting up fencing all over the stadium. But if things don’t work out we’ll have to review that as we go on. This is really about setting standards of health and safety.

“Over the last few months we’ve spoken to all the provincial councils . . . we will undertake a major education process in the four counties involved in the All-Ireland semi-finals . . . we will speak to the four county boards involved and to the people through the media as to exactly what we’re doing.

“We’ve taken this move after serious consultations with the Gardai and Health authorities, we gave it massive consideration ourselves over a period of weeks and made the recommendation to our board yesterday that was unanimously approved and supported.

“It will include gates which must open in the case of an emergency situation and there will be Gardaí on those gates as well as normal stewards.”

Meanwhile, rising Dublin star David Treacy will miss the remainder of his county’s assault on the Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland under-21 hurling championship after sustaining cruciate knee ligament damage.

Cuala clubman Treacy damaged his knee at training on Thursday evening and now faces a race to be fit for the start of next season.