Situation not critical on Hill 16, says Croke Park director in wake of scuffles

Croke Park stadium director Peter McKenna is satisfied that Hill 16 remains a secure location for spectators. He was commenting on a second weekend in which scuffles among spectators on the terrace featured on social media.

Trouble on the northern end terrace hadn’t been a particular issue since the stadium redevelopment 20 years ago until recently.

“The concerns are there but aren’t critical,” he said. “We’re monitoring it very closely. The Armagh-Monaghan scenes were down to what we see as excitable individuals rather than anything more planned or sinister. But it’s not acceptable and we want to get the message out there.

“What we see as a major issue is the number of flares and smoke bombs that have been taken in and they do cause distress and aggravation to other spectators.”

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He also expressed confidence in the stewarding operation and warned that anyone trying to bring these items into the stadium will have them confiscated.

“The stewarding is working. The team that handles it has been there for the best part of 20 years and have a good sense of proportionate response and not exacerbating a situation and bringing a degree of responsibility to take flares and smoke bombs away from people.”

Given that reports of bad behaviour are nearly always linked to excessive consumption of alcohol, McKenna says that screening takes place and the sale of drink is regulated.

“Anyone obviously drunk is turned away and taken off the terrace. Any drink people try to bring inside is confiscated. We limit the amount you can buy by restricting the access and if we feel that the crowd is too boisterous we don’t even open the bars.”

Part of the improved matchday behaviour – compared to the running battles of decades past – is to do with the design of the viewing area.

“Modern terraces are designed so that they are three compartments rather than one continuous terrace so the opportunity to chase or maraud across the whole area isn’t there. Facilities are also much improved.

“I also think the tragedies that have happened in spaces like that have permeated the public mind and the vast majority of spectators are sensible and responsible. Dublin supporters are used to being there and that creates a sense of calm.”

There is more heartening news on the subject of attendances. The weekend’s All-Ireland hurling semi-finals brought in a big increase on 12 months ago with the exact same matches attracting 108,099 compared with 91,841 last year. The only difference is that Kilkenny-Clare was played on a Saturday last year and Limerick-Galway on Sunday – the days were reversed this time around.

The improvement follows closely on a hugely successful Munster championship, which broke the 300,000 mark. After a couple of years of depressed gate receipts because of Covid, last year’s gate receipts for the hurling championship recovered to register €9.9 million.

Pre-pandemic in 2019 the figure was €10.5 million, with the record for revenue coming 10 years ago in 2013, when €11.9 million was taken – that year included a replay in the All-Ireland hurling final, the second of three successive draws in that showpiece.

McKenna acknowledged the importance of Munster’s round-robin in the aggregate numbers.

“Jeopardy has meant that if a team doesn’t make it to the top three, they’re out. Munster has been extraordinary. Previously the qualifiers meant that it wasn’t all over yet if you lost but the current hurling configuration has worked well.”

This year’s Leinster championship suffered because of the decline in Wexford’s fortunes – the first year the county didn’t qualify from the round-robin.

Asked whether he thought this year’s revenue would set a record, at least for a championship with no replays, McKenna didn’t rule it out.

“I don’t have the figures to hand but it won’t be far off it.”

He is particularly pleased with the recovery given concerns about how difficult it could have been to attract crowds back after the restrictions of lockdown.

“If we went back to when Covid was happening, there was always that great uncertainty that after two years of limited attendances, people would get out of the habit of going to games and would it be a huge effort to bring them back?

“That hasn’t been the case. If anything it’s quite the opposite. Going to games has created a sense of returning to normality.”