Dublin fans to meet with Croke Park over flag row

Dublin GAA fans are understood to have secured a meeting with Peter McKenna, the stadium director at Croke Park following their calls for a boycott of every retail facility at the stadium.

Fans called for the boycott after a large Dublin flag, which is traditionally passed across Hill 16 before throw-in at games at Croke Park, was deemed no longer allowed.

A spokesperson for the GAA said on June 19 last “the GAA issued a directive about the size of items being brought into Croke Park not being bigger than A4 in size.

“This development followed discussions with statutory bodies in light of well publicised incidents at international venues in recent months.”

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A statement posted on behalf of Dublin GAA Supporters Pages had urged fans not to “contribute one cent to the bars, shops and every retail outlet inside Croke Park” for Dublin’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final on August 5 along with any subsequent games.

Former Lord Mayor and Dublin city councillor Christy Burke has been in touch with Mr McKenna who is currently on annual leave.

"He [MR MCKENNA]has agreed to meet with representatives of the Dublin Supporters and myself the week after next to discuss the issues in relation to concerns to overcrowding on the Hill and also about the flag," Cllr Burke told The Irish Times.

“I’ve been in touch with one of the Dublin Supporters representatives, he’s delighted, the fact that he’s agreed to meet with them.”

Cllr Burke said he had been told previously there were concerns over fire safety and the flag interfering with spectators’ views. He had suggested a smaller flag being used by fans or Dublin Fire Brigade’s chief fire officer checking the current flag’s fire safety status.

The statement posted on All Dublin GAA Fans Facebook page on Wednesday morning, claimed the measure is “in a long line of ridiculous rules and regulations for supporters who attend Hill 16 on match day”. It added the “banning of the large flag has led us to finally say enough is enough”.

Dublin GAA Supporters Pages has said the boycott remains in place until it has had its meeting with Mr McKenna.

Dublin are due to take on either Monaghan, Down or Armagh at Croke Park on August 5th.