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Taylor-Serrano III: Promoter Eddie Hearn had claimed that Croke Park was back on the cards for the trilogy fight. Ed Mulholland/INPHO

Croke Park chief says there is little chance of hosting Katie Taylor fight this year

“The approach seems to be megaphone diplomacy,” says Croke Park stadium director Peter McKenna.

CROKE PARK CHIEF Peter McKenna has said he believes a Katie Taylor fight at the home of the GAA is highly unlikely this year.

A trilogy fight between the Bray boxer and old adversary Amanda Serrano at Croke Park has been suggested by promoter Eddie Hearn who represents Taylor.

Hearn claimed that while the associated costs with booking Croke Park had been prohibitive in the past, it could be a runner in 2025 with the likelihood of a full house for the superfight.

“We’re not going to harp on about the costs of Croke Park, it is what it is, but there is a lot of revenue in that fight now which gives you the opportunity,” said Hearn, who heads up Matchroom Boxing, last month.

But speaking at the launch of the GAA’s annual report and accounts for 2024, McKenna said he hasn’t spoken to Hearn since last October and he accused the promoter of ‘megaphone diplomacy’.

“Being honest, Eddie hasn’t been in touch with us,” said McKenna. “The last time I talked to Matchroom was, I’d say, probably October of last year. It flashes up every so often but no, we haven’t been contacted.

“It’s trying to find out where would be the slot (for hosting the fight). I think the difficulty there is that, what’s the style of the event? And what time of the year it would be on. We have Oasis and Robbie Williams so with the calendar there’s not a lot of space to say, ‘Yeah, I could fit it in on that weekend’, or whatever.”

McKenna shook his head when asked if he could see any possibility of the Taylor fight going ahead in 2025.

“The approach seems to be megaphone diplomacy, throw everything at it and something will happen in that sense,” he said of Hearn’s apparent approach. “Katie Taylor is a magnificent athlete and I think everyone is very, very proud of what she’s achieved as an athlete.

katie-taylor Katie Taylor. Nick Elliott / INPHO Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO

“But to fill Croke Park with 80,000, you need an undercard, you need a whole razzmatazz to go with it. Those things can’t be done in a short period of time. Even getting an event management plan together, getting the City Council to approve it and so on.

“There’d be a fair bit of work in that. So I think it’s a kite flyer rather than a genuine (plan), so I can’t see it happening because we haven’t heard about it, bar reading in the papers.”

McKenna declined to field any questions on the issue of a potential NFL game at the stadium later this year as has been widely reported.

But he spoke positively about a positive year for Croke Park Ltd in 2024 with record revenue of almost €60 million generated, thanks partly to six different concerts which were held there.

“€59.7 million, it’s huge,” said McKenna of Croke Park’s revenue for 2024. “1.65 million people coming through the doors. They are fantastic figures. Now there’s a huge amount of work in doing that and it’s credit to everyone who pulls it together. Yeah, it is probably a record year. You could go back to different times but I would see it as being the best year we’ve had.”

McKenna said that Croke Park will host three concerts this year – two Oasis dates and a Robbie Williams gig – but that will be it.

“That will probably pull it back a wee bit,” he predicted of 2025 revenue, compared to 2024.

McKenna made it clear that despite hosting various concerts and rugby matches, Gaelic Games are still the ‘core activity’ of the stadium.

“Non-core activity went very well this year, the year just recorded,” he said. “But we had nothing (in terms of concerts) last year, 2023. So it can be very up and down. You certainly wouldn’t be booking mortgages on the back of it. When it’s good it’s very good but it can go chilly. Covid is a good example. We had matches here but there was nobody at them because that was the nature of it. We see these years as benefits rather than the norm.”

Written by Paul Keane and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.

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    Mute Thought for Food
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 7:42 AM

    Why are you referring to this as an “incident”? The police are very clear on the subject that it was a deliberate attack.

    It wouldn’t happen to be the fact that the attacker was Afghani in ethnicity by any chance?

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    Mute Tom Tom
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 7:49 AM

    @Thought for Food: Read paragraph two

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    Mute Anthony Byrne
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 7:53 AM

    @Thought for Food: an “incident” is simply ‘something that happened’ …

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    Mute Thought for Food
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 7:55 AM

    @Anthony Byrne:

    So why do we refer to school shootings in the US by people with mental health issues as an attack, but when a car is used it’s demoted to an ‘incident’?

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    Mute Gulliver Foyle
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 8:20 AM

    @Thought for Food: maybe Australians understand English better than you. Attack is a military term (coming from the Latin to join the battle). This incident was a perfect example of integration where the guy (who happened to be Afghani) was just a run of the mill, drug using, Australian with mental health issues who had, er, an incident and not a Qur’an touting crusader.

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    Mute RU 486 SAVES LIVES
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 8:21 AM

    @Thought for Food: The ‘acting’ Lord Mayor of Melbourne said that it was an ‘attack’.Take some deep breaths and relax.

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    Mute Christian White
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 8:26 AM

    @Thought for Food:

    “Accused Flinders Street driver says ‘poor treatment of Muslims’ motivated him”

    https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/38383800/melbourne-attack-flinders-st-driver-motivated-by-muslim-treatment/

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 8:28 AM

    @Christian White: He also said he heard voices. Why didnt you quote that bit i wonder?

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    Mute KingBen
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 8:42 AM

    @Gulliver Foyle: he was no Australian.

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    Mute RU 486 SAVES LIVES
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 9:00 AM

    @KingBen: You’re right! He wasn’t an aboriginal .

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    Mute KingBen
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 9:14 AM

    @RU 486 SAVES LIVES: boom Boom…comic genius.

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    Mute johnp
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 10:23 AM

    @Gulliver Foyle: he made a claim that he did it because of the treatment of Muslims in Australia

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello.
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 11:54 AM

    @Thought for Food: Anything that happened, whether caused deliberately or otherwise, can correctly be called “an incident”. This is matter of basic English and not a conspiracy.

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    Mute Remy
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 12:02 PM

    @Thought for Food:

    A Muslim deliberately drives into a crowd of people,
    Another films & waits with a bag full of knives,
    Both are arrested,
    Police determine it’s “Mental illness”
    I wonder if they actually think we believe them.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 1:02 PM

    @Remy: Will they be healthy enough to pay all those people’s medical bills, I wonder?

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 1:14 PM

    All through the Troubles, it was usual to read about damage from incidents. And objects. It’s called daily news reporting. And when they have more information, they’ll use more specific nouns. What’s your hurry? Are you concerned about the people run over? They were all immigrants to Australia too.

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    Mute Bobby tolster
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 5:46 PM

    @Tom Tom: mental illness=I want to kill the infidel.

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    Mute Horace
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 8:11 AM

    I’m getting a bit sick and tired of the covering up of these attacks from liberal media like the Journal and the establishment in order to make it seem like everything is fine and dandy. It’s not. Islamic savages are murdering innocent westerners on our streets and they are NOT incidents. These are terrorist murderers.

    Hope the woman is okay and can get on with her life.

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    Mute Mark Mcloughlin
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 9:12 AM

    @Horace: Well said!

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    Mute Brinster
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 10:11 AM

    @Horace:

    Head over to Breitbart so, Horace.

    You don’t have to be here.

    You don’t have to comment.

    You can get your news from a source that hates people of different religions just as much as you do.

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    Mute Barry Barrison
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 10:38 AM

    @Horace: right…so when the west blows the crap out of Islamic countries and kills countless innocent folk there and u don’t hear about it…can I ask what the difference is??? Innocent people bring big targeted..hospitals getting blown to pieces. While I don’t agree with what this chap did…if my family was blown up for no good reason I can see the logic behind his decision

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    Mute Brendan Cooney
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 10:41 AM

    @Horace: so the truth is hurting you? Tough.

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    Mute Horace
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 11:22 AM

    @Barry Barrison: You sound like a terrorist yourself with that sort of logic. Carry on.

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    Mute Horace
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 11:23 AM

    @Brinster: Nice attempt at deflection. 2/10 Must try harder

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    Mute Ronan Sexton
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 12:00 PM

    @Barry Barrison: I don’t seem to remember any Australian army invading any Islamic country lately to justify the actions of these primitive idiots. Maybe you can jog my memory? No? Just another half wit apologist then.

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    Mute Remy
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 12:41 PM

    @Brinster:

    Why Breitbart, go to the original texts.
    http://corpus.quran.com/translation.jsp?chapter=8&verse=12

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    Mute Bobby tolster
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 5:45 PM

    @Brinster: so let me get this correct your actually trying to tell @horace he’s a racist when the incident involved a Muslim using a car to preform Jihad on a group of innocent strangers.
    Your part of the problem with this world ya giant bag of d**k tips.

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    Mute Christian White
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 8:25 AM

    This storyis totally inaccurate. Police update last night confirmed this was a terror attack:

    “Accused Flinders Street driver says ‘poor treatment of Muslims’ motivated him”

    https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/38383800/melbourne-attack-flinders-st-driver-motivated-by-muslim-treatment/

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 8:29 AM

    @Christian White: And again. You didnt quote that he hears voices. Why not?

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    Mute Christian White
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 8:30 AM

    Additional info, attacker is not “Australian of Afghan Descent”, he is an Afghan refugee who entered the country in 2004:

    “The 32-year-old Afghan refugee accused man came to Australia via a refugee program in 2004.”

    http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/melbourne-attack-driver-was-a-refugee/news-story/ef15e4339155c7122569c12bbab8d5a2

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    Mute BrianMcB
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 10:15 AM

    @Cian O Donoghue: The voice of ISIS, Jemaah Islamiyah or Allah or all three?

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    Mute whynotme2017
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 12:22 PM

    @Christian Black Too : You wouldn’t mind showing us that video link,of where the police commissioner says that it is a terrorist attack?

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 6:20 PM

    @Christian White: but police can find no terrorist links yet and say there is nothing to indicate the event was planned. From that article.

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    Mute john bennett
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 10:18 AM

    There have been many waves of migration to australia, from europe from vietnam even from lebanon yet it is only the recent ones from afghanistan, pakistan and north africa that are causing the problems and terrorist attacks, go figure

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    Mute Horace
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 9:09 AM

    Title needs to be changed. Disgraceful fake news from the Journal.

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    Mute Brinster
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 10:58 AM

    @Chip Lonergan:

    Yeah, re-reading it now it is a bit too subtle.

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    Mute Horace
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 11:25 AM

    @Brinster: Why do you hate all Muslims? The vast majority are just normal people. Disgraceful comment tbh

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello.
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 11:56 AM

    @Horace: I don’t like this news, therefore it must be fake.

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    Mute Mark Mcloughlin
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 9:13 AM

    “incident” ? I think the words you are looking for is terrorist attack you scuts lol

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    Mute whynotme2017
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 9:35 AM

    @Mark Mcloughlin: Are you a “reporter” from Breitfart news ? lols

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    Mute Mark Mcloughlin
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 12:30 PM

    @whynotme2017: I never mentioned the word reporter so why are you putting that word in inverted commas? “Breitfart” you are the biggest saddo haha

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    Mute RU 486 SAVES LIVES
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 7:53 AM

    Poor Thoughtless,he so wants this to be a ‘terrorist’ attack.But it’s looking like the guy has a history of serious drug and mental health issues..

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    Mute Thought for Food
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 7:58 AM

    @RU 486 SAVES LIVES:

    The 9/11 terrorists drank, smoked, did drugs and frequented hookers before their attack. The Quran specifies that Martyrs will have their sins abolished.

    The presence of mental health issues or drug use do not exclude terrorism.

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    Mute RU 486 SAVES LIVES
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 8:04 AM

    Good morning, Thoughtless .Thanks for the cool story,bro!

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    Mute Iain MacLaren
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    Dec 22nd 2017, 10:15 AM

    some of the comments on here are ridiculous, unhelpful, and inappropriate macho-posturing. What counts is that someone tried to kill and injure people. How you label it is political. If someone does a mass shooting in the US, it rarely is described in the same way as some here have suggested this incident be. And what of wars in foreign countries, of drone strikes, of executions? Labels to justify whatever political standpoint you have taken. I prefer to condemn all killings, whether in the name of the state, a religion, ideology, or pure personal hatred.

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