Yes but the upper deck had not been constructed yet, and it was a full two years after the 1999 All-Ireland football final which was the last game with the old Hogan Stand.
The Cusack was fully done in 20 months. The Hogan took a full year longer.
Yes, my sigerson team were guests of honour there
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You were beginning to run into the Celtic Tiger then and it was harder to get labour and materials.
I remember someone unfurled a banner from the upper deck in 96 “Limerick you’re a lady, but Wexford have the balls”
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Pretty sure it was ready for 2000, KK v Offaly. I was sitting there and it was uncovered.
The seating arrangement in the front of the Hogan Stand for the 2000 championship reminded me a bit of the benches my primary school would arrange for class photos.
The second TEST MATCH of the 2000 International Rules was great craic. It was a gorgeous day, a much bigger than expected walk up crowd (cc: of @peddlerscross) turned up and the stewards had a full time job quietly ushering people from the Nally corner down the Hogan Stand sideline into the new seats that were not planned to be used that day but were just about inhabitable. This continued on up to half time. I’d say the baby Hogan held maybe 3,000 people at a push. There were Australian lads kicking Sherrins around the Hill afterwards and running around the emptying terrace taking marks after their team made clean shit of the Irish.
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Yes. Im sure I was sitting in the lower hogan for 2000 AIF replay.
They could do with picking one of O’Moore, O’Connor or Cusack (Mullingar) Parks and developing it into a decent 25-30k stadium with two covered stands. That would fit a lot of needs.
Putting anything other than maintenance money into Croker would be brainless. Anyone who thinks otherwise should be sent to Cusack Park (Ennis) for a day to understand what the average GAA patron expects, facility wise.
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The hogan was still there for the 99 hurling. I watched it from there. The father had the same seats for years. On the 21 , Canal end side. When they started redeveloping the hogan, we got moved around and they eventually went from 2 free tickets to 1 free ticket even though there was a bigger capacity
Paddy’s Day 2000 possibly
Looks like one of the 2000 All-Ireland football finals here.
Spring 2001 I’d say
November 19th, 2001
July 14th, 2002, some of the upper deck is still not open
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Thurles is absolutely no hassle for people from Cork
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It’s an absolute pain in the bollocks to travel to from Wexford though.
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Most painful county drive to get to. I’d sooner drive to Salthill
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From Wexford town? What’s the route?
Wexford town
New Ross
Thomastown
Callan
Ballingarry
Littleton
Thurles
Or head to Kilkenny City, Freshford, Johnstown, motorway, Thurles?
Inistiogue>Thomastown>Kilkenny city>Urlingford>Thurles.
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Probably same as what I just said…
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I drove to Cashel from Rosslare harbour at Christmas. Took an age. Didn’t help that the ferry arrive in at 5pm so we hit all the Wexford town traffic on the roundabouts. Took us an hour to get from the ferry to the New Ross turn off. Would it have been quicker to go cross country and up through Bridgetown and Wellington Bridge?
All windy backroads. You’re still moving mind. Turn off at Larkins Cross petrol station (where Supermacs is), go through Taghmon, Bridgetown and then on through to Killinick.
He was driving the other direction!
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Do it that way, but the opposite.
I’m off to sleep.
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