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Article: For First Time, Croke Park Is Ireland's Common Ground
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- February 6, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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When the British army wanted to strike back at those fighting for
Ireland's independence in 1920, there was one obvious target: Croke
Park, a ramshackle sports venue on the north side of Dublin and
focus for the national sports of Gaelic football and hurling. On
what became known as Bloody Sunday, soldiers fired on the crowd
watching a Gaelic football game, killing several spectators and one
player.
Visit Croke Park now and it's a superb stadium that seats 82,000
people, a sleek emblem of Ireland's economic growth with luxurious
corporate boxes and convention facilities. But one of its towering
stands is still named after Michael Hogan, the young footballer
killed on the field in 1920.
Croke ...