Hill 16 barrier to return for football league final

Croke Park stadium director Peter McKenna has confirmed that the Hill 16 crowd barrier will be reinstalled for next month's Allianz Football League Division 1 final at GAA headquarters.

However, GAA chiefs are keen to stress that the timing of the decision is not linked to Dublin's qualification for the decider.

It will be the Dubs' first appearance in the Division 1 decider since 1999, and it is expected that their involvement will draw a bigger than average attendance for such a game.

"There's a window of opportunity between now and the league finals to put up the screen," McKenna told the Evening Herald.

"It was always going to go up anyway (for the Championship); that was always our intention and it's not a reflection of Dublin being in the final at all.

"Dublin are playing absolutely fantastic football and to be in the final is brilliant news for everybody," he maintained.

The transparent "people barrier" was first erected in front of Hill 16, at the Dineen Terrace end, towards the latter stages of last year's Championship.

It came in the wake of the angry scenes at the end of last July's Leinster SFC final between Louth and Meath.

After that game, some Louth supporters raced onto the pitch to vent their fury at match referee Martin Sludden, following a Joe Sheridans controversial match-winning goal.

The new see-through screen is 2.8 metres high and according to McKenna it was placed in storage for the winter months because it "won't tarnish nearly as quickly if it's out of the elements".

McKenna has also expressed hope that "over time, it will be seen as not necessary".

"It would suit everybody if it didn't have to be there," he added. However, the stadium chief stressed that the barrier won't go "until we are confident and comfortable that the safety issues have been addressed".