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13th Jun 2023

“Fill it to the brim” – Conor McDonald shares idea on Leinster final venue

Lee Costello

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“It would have been absolutely crazy.”

Conor McDonald has an interesting idea on which venues should host both the Munster and Leinster final, especially if the games are going to be played on the same day.

Last Sunday Limerick won their fifth Munster title in a packed out Gaelic Grounds with an incredible atmosphere, while Croke Park hosted Kilkenny’s Leinster final victory against Galway.

However, despite the incredible drama on display during that Leinster final, Croke Park had a strange atmosphere, with only 24,000 in attendance.

Joe Canning had said afterwards that it should have been played elsewhere, somewhere where a real atmosphere could be generated and give the final the crowd that it deserved.

Leinster final

Wexford’s Conor McDonald was telling the GAA Hour podcast that he knows what it’s like to play in a empty Croke Park, and shares an interesting idea to solve the issue.

“It’s just a weird atmosphere, you can hear a ball being struck, you can hear players talking on the field, but where are you going to play the Leinster final like?

“In my opinion it always has to be in Croke Park, it’s the biggest stadium in Ireland, and I don’t think that should make a difference.

“The atmosphere can be a little bit difficult to play in. If that Leinster final was straight after the Munster final, in the Gaelic Grounds, like how hectic would that have been? It would have been absolutely crazy.

“To be honest, I actually think they would do the two games in the one, in Croke Park, and absolutely fill it to the brim. If they are going to have them on the same day – I think it’s ridiculous they have them on the same day anyway, but I could go on all day about fixtures.

“But Croke Park can be difficult to play in with that dead atmosphere, and winning tackles, or getting a free, they can be turning points in games, but with this, it’s a bit of a surreal atmosphere.”

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