A sea of blue and navy. That’s Hill 16 on a matchday. A powerful image isn’t it?
Welcome to Hill 16. More than just a terrace. It’s a piece of Dublin’s sporting soul. It’s located at the Railway End of Croke Park. The principal stadium of the Gaelic Athletic Association. It’s on Dublin’s Northside.
Originally it wasn’t called Hill 16. Its first name was Hill 60. A grim reminder of Gallipoli. The Connaught Rangers suffered terrible losses there in 1915. But the GAA decided Hill 60 was inappropriate. It was named after a battle involving Irish soldiers in the British Army. So Hill 60 became Hill 16. Linking it to the Easter Rising of 1916. A pivotal moment in Irish history. A myth also arose. That Hill 16 was built from the rubble of O’Connell Street. This is untrue. Hill 16 was already built by the 1915 All-Ireland finals.
Early Hill 16 was rather basic. Turf and mud. It wasn’t until 1936 that concrete replaced the mud. The Cusack Stand’s redevelopment brought this change. Overcrowding in 1983 caused injuries. The GAA then decided to rebuild Hill 16. This was completed in 1988. It could now hold 10000 spectators.
A masterplan in the mid-1990s proposed replacing it with an all-seater stand. Dublin supporters resisted. Hill 16 was their spiritual home. The railway line nearby posed challenges. The GAA didn’t own the land behind Croke Park. The plans changed. A new terraced area was created. It replaced the Nally Stand. The new area cost €25 million. It could hold over 13000 spectators.
In 2006 Hill 16 was renamed Dineen Hill 16. In honour of Frank Dineen. He bought the grounds for the GAA in 1908. From 2007-2009. Croke Park hosted association football and rugby union matches. This prevented Irish national teams from playing in England. Temporary seating was often added to Hill 16. Or it remained closed. This practice ended when Lansdowne Road was redeveloped. However Leinster Rugby will play home matches here in 2024. Due to works at the RDS Arena.
So you stand here now. On the hallowed ground of Hill 16. Feel the history. The passion. The roar of the crowd. You are part of Dublin’s sporting legacy.