NFL takeover shows what the GAA is missing on All-Ireland final week

The lax attitude which the GAA has had in promoting its biggest days was put into dramatic and unflattering focus by the carnival which the NFL held in Dublin over the weekend. 

Sunday’s NFL clash between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park was packaged with a three-day Steelers tailgate party in Merrion Square, ‘official’ team bars across Dublin, a special exhibition in Dublin Castle, and a Saturday fan Q&A with commissioner Roger Goodell. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

For over 40 years Kilmacud Crokes’ grounds on Dublin’s southside have served as a magnet for hurling and Gaelic football fans drawn to the capital on weekends where the All-Ireland hurling and football finals take centre stage.

The club’s annual sevens tournaments have meant many things to many people. Games to be played for the teams that pitched up from all over the country. A social hub on their code’s biggest week of the year. And a source to be mined for precious match tickets.