The Croke Park debate: 'Why is this place open today?' 

Roscommon boss Davy Burke wondered why they faced Dublin at GAA HQ on Saturday. 

Roscommon goalkeeper Conor Carroll in front of empty seats at HQ. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Communions, cup finals, couldn’t-be-bothereds. A confluence of events and apathy contributed to the smallest attendance for a championship match involving Dublin in Croke Park this century.

We declare that without knowing the exact crowd. The oifigiúil tinreamh wasn’t announced over the PA as is usually the case at half-time. It’s our experience that only happens when it’s low like the 2022 Dublin-Kildare Leinster final when it was only ascertained by this newspaper later that week that it was the worst attended SFC decider in a normal season in 31 years (33,328). That was before this year’s Dublin-Louth game recorded just 22,113 souls in Croke Park.