Brian Fenton Thinks GAA Should Learn One Thing From NFL Dublin Game

While the NFL coming to Dublin was always going to be a massive occasion, it was notable just how well the fixture played out at GAA headquarters on Sunday afternoon.

Transforming Croke Park into a venue that was suitable for American football was not necessarily an easy feat, with a huge amount of work done to ensure a seamless experience for both the supporters and teams involved.

Major alterations were made throughout the stadium. The pitch was relayed and then marked into a suitable size, while little touches were also added in the form of play clocks and new advertising hoardings around the ground. That is without even mentioning the addition of new seats and a TV studio in Hill 16.

In short, the GAA, NFL, and everyone involved did a wonderful job.

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Brian Fenton Thinks GAA Should Learn One Big Lesson From NFL Dublin Game

There was a huge amount of pageantry at Croke Park for the NFL Dublin game, both before and during the fixture.

The anthems beforehand were certainly a sight to behold, with Cork singer LYRA providing a memorable version of Amhrán na Bhfiann ahead of kick-off.

Of course, Croke Park is no stranger to that particular song. The Irish national anthem is played at the venue before each GAA fixture.

In saying that, yesterday's version was something a bit more memorable than your general rendition. It certainly added to the occasion, with former Dublin footballer Brian Fenton suggesting that the GAA could look to learn from the version of Amhránn na bhFiann that featured on Sunday.

Lucky to be in Croke Park yesterday, and this version of Amhrán na bhfiann was one of the best I’ve heard in all my days there.

Can’t help feel the GAA are missing a trick by not giving spectators more of this stuff. Incredible moment.

This is the type of thing the GAA could well consider moving forward, especially for occasions such as All-Ireland finals. It has previously been suggested that not enough is done to mark the occasion of those fixtures each year.

The NFL Dublin game showed what can be done with a bit of planning, meaning this not be the final time we see such scenes at Croke Park over the coming years.

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