GAA open Hall of Fame in Croke Park

Joining the likes of Cooperstown (baseball), Cleveland (rock n’ roll) and Alabama (insurance, seriously) Croke Park is now the home of the GAA Hall of Fame.

While the Croke Park Museum always had a hint of ‘Hall of Fame’ about it, the lads at HQ have finally formalised it.

Launched today, the GAA Hall of Fame combines the two ‘Teams of the Millennium’ as well as adding one new member for each code each year.

Today, Offaly footballer Tony McTague and Limerick hurler Eamon Cregan joined the 30 legends from the two Millennium teams and GAA President Liam O’Neill announced the new exhibit today.

“Former players have a special place in the history of the GAA and nowhere is this captured better than in the GAA Museum where their achievements are highlighted and revered," says O'Neill on the GAA website.

“This new facility will serve as a permanent reminder to the greatness of the players who adorned our game at the highest level. It is important that these players are remembered not only by those who were lucky enough to see them, but crucially by those who did not have that privilege.

“This is one way of assisting in that process and I congratulate them and their families.”

McTague won back-to-back All-Irelands for Offaly in 1971 and 1972 while Cregan, an All-Ireland winner with Limerick in their last win in 1973, has been a hurling legend for decades on and off the pitch.

A committee of O’Neill, Christy Cooney, Nickey Brennan and journalists Seán Moran and Martin Breheny selected the two new inductees and they will do so every year.

We’re already looking forward to the yearly debate about who gets in and who doesn’t.

And if you fancy learning more about the Insurance Hall of Fame, just click here.