Brian Barry
GAA Editor @BrianGBarry
Croke Park could accommodate up to 42,000 under social distancing guidelines
Horan: "Until social distancing is scaled back, we just won't be able to pack Croke Park"
Last Updated: 08/06/20 12:10pm
GAA president John Horan has suggested that Croke Park could host up to 42,000 fans in 2020 while observing social distancing guidelines.
At present, the Irish government is encouraging two-metre distancing, but should that be halved, it could see the Jones Road venue be able to breach 50 per cent capacity.
Speaking to his club Na Fianna's social media channels, Horan discussed what crowds at GAA games in 2020 would look like.
"We have already worked it out that if large crowds are to gather over 5,000, we could probably put 21,000 into Croke Park safely," he said.
"It would cause impracticalities in terms of there would be an element of lottery for tickets and premium ticket holders would probably have to get accredited the following year.
"Until social distancing is scaled back, we just won't be able to pack Croke Park. It is our intention to get it open and going when we get the intercounty games going and if it goes back to one metre, we would be able to double the attendance, probably to 42,000.
"There's an issue over the Hill and whether we would be able to get seating in there because really controlling crowds is always going to be a nightmare going forward."
Under the GAA's roadmap, intercounty action is set to return on October 17. A structure for the 2020 championships will be announced at the end of June.
