{"id":669397,"date":"2026-09-02T21:13:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T21:13:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/669397\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T21:13:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T21:13:23","slug":"every-punter-wrote-it-off-croke-park-chief-brings-us-inside-preparations-for-the-taylor-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/669397\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Every punter wrote it off’: Croke Park chief brings us inside preparations for the Taylor fight"},"content":{"rendered":"

CROKE PARK IS undergoing another major transformation this week as preparations ramp up for Katie Taylor\u2019s long-awaited homecoming and final professional fight.<\/p>\n

Just days after the stadium hosted a run of major concerts from The Weeknd<\/a> and Bon Jovi<\/a>, a boxing ring will take centre stage on the pitch on Saturday night as around 80,000 people watch Taylor face undefeated French fighter Flora Pili.<\/p>\n

It will be the first professional boxing event held at GAA headquarters in 54 years, since Muhammad Ali defeated Al Lewis there in July 1972.<\/p>\n

For Croke Park stadium director Peter McKenna, getting everything ready for Taylor\u2019s farewell involves another sizeable logistical operation for a venue which has already had a busy summer.<\/p>\n

Speaking to The Journal at the stadium this week, McKenna said preparations involve several different crews working around one another.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are lots of issues with different crews, insurance, responsibility, HSA compliance and so on,\u201d McKenna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut my team are very experienced in it. Peter Aiken (owner of Aiken Promotions) knows about bringing stuff in and bringing stuff out. So it\u2019s very, very efficient.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"20260901_175436\"
\n Satff pictured working on the pitch at Croke Park on Tuesday. Andrew Walsh \/ The Journal<\/p>\n

Andrew Walsh \/ The Journal \/ The Journal\n<\/p>\n

That experience, McKenna said, does not mean those involved can afford to relax.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou never become complacent. You just always have to be aware and be available to people,\u201d McKenna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there\u2019s something really special about Croke Park. There\u2019s something really special, I think, for any of the fans that have come.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to see a mighty show.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

From Tottenham to Croker<\/p>\n

One of the challenges facing organisers is ensuring tens of thousands of spectators spread around the vast stadium can properly follow the action in a comparatively small boxing ring.<\/p>\n

McKenna travelled to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Tyson Fury\u2019s fight there in April to see how boxing worked in a large outdoor stadium.<\/p>\n

\"conor-benn-walks-out-before-his-fight-at-the-tottenham-hotspur-stadium-london-picture-date-saturday-november-15-2025\"
\n Screens pictured at a boxing match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November 2025. Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n

Alamy Stock Photo\n<\/p>\n

He said four large screens will be positioned around the ring at Croke Park, giving spectators a close-up view of the action regardless of where they are sitting.<\/p>\n

McKenna said that while spectators sitting further away will not have the same close-up view of the fighters, the screens mean they will be able to follow the action while still experiencing the atmosphere inside the stadium.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think the atmosphere is going to be enormous,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think any team would struggle to get the roar that Katie will get when she steps out on Saturday. It\u2019s going to be extraordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

It\u2019s not just Katie Taylor and Flora Pili preparing for Saturday\u2019s bout.<\/p>\n

We spoke to Peter McKenna, Stadium Director at Croke Park, about how the venue is setting up for the highly anticipated event. pic.twitter.com\/AciR94ZSgI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) September 2, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Taylor\u2019s entrance itself is also being carefully planned \u2013 while her opponent Pili will emerge from the tunnel under the Hogan stand (where GAA and LGFA teams usually emerge from), Taylor will emerge from the corner tunnel between the Davin and the Cusack stands, giving her a longer walk to the ring.<\/p>\n

McKenna said her route to the ring has been designed to allow as many people as possible to see her as she makes what will be the final walkout of her professional career.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s the champion, so she\u2019s going to get the highlight.\u201d<\/p>\n

A two-week operation<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s event has required considerably more work than simply putting a boxing ring on the Croke Park pitch.<\/p>\n

McKenna said the overall operation involves around two weeks of work before the event, including bringing in and preparing the ground, with another two weeks expected afterwards before the stadium is fully returned to normal.<\/p>\n

The pitch itself has also had to be factored into the transformation.<\/p>\n

With nothing scheduled to take place on it until December though, McKenna joked that the grass was \u201cgrowing away happily\u201d elsewhere while preparations continued inside the stadium.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s in good fettle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"20260901_175447\"
\n Dozens of staff are currently turning the stadium into a boxing venue. The Journal<\/p>\n

The Journal\n<\/p>\n

The cost of bringing Taylor to Croke Park had been a major talking point long before Saturday\u2019s fight was finally confirmed.<\/p>\n

Promoter Eddie Hearn previously said the costs associated with staging a fight at Croke Park were considerably higher than at Wembley<\/a>, one of the factors which prevented Taylor from fighting there earlier in her career.<\/p>\n

McKenna said some of those public comments formed part of the normal negotiating process.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are different idiosyncrasies of events in Ireland that are not replicated in London, so there are costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said his job was to negotiate on behalf of Croke Park while Hearn had to do the same for sports promotions company Matchroom, with the eventual agreement representing a \u201cmeeting of minds\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u2018Once in a generation\u2019<\/p>\n

The prospect of Taylor fighting at Croke Park had been discussed for years, with previous attempts to bring her to the stadium (included a well-documented attempt in 2023)\u00a0failing to get over the line<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery punter wrote it off. I wrote it off,\u201d McKenna said.<\/p>\n

But promoter Peter Aiken remained convinced the event could work, McKenna said, and became heavily involved alongside Matchroom and Brian Peters in finally getting the fight to Croke Park.<\/p>\n

Tickets subsequently \u201cflew out\u201d, McKenna said, describing the reaction to the announcement as a combination of \u201cFOMO\u201d and \u201cmassive euphoria\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said Taylor\u2019s enduring popularity meant Saturday was always likely to capture the public imagination, particularly because she had opted for a genuine contest.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a real fight,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a glamorous sign-off.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKenna believes it would be difficult to replicate the level of interest surrounding Saturday\u2019s event with another boxer.<\/p>\n

\u201cKatie is a once-in-a-generation, a once-in-two-generation type individual,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"dublin-leinster-ireland-1st-sep-2026-katie-taylor-during-a-press-conference-held-at-the-helix-in-dcu-dublin-ahead-of-her-undisputed-super-lightweight-championship-fight-against-flora-pili-figh\"
\n Katie Taylor pictured at a press event yesterday. Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n

Alamy Stock Photo\n<\/p>\n

He hopes the sight of Taylor headlining Croke Park will also have an impact beyond Saturday night, particularly on young girls watching from the stands or at home.<\/p>\n

There are more practical considerations to deal with before then.<\/p>\n

Croke Park has asked spectators to be respectful of people living around the stadium when the 80,000-strong crowd leaves<\/a> late on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Alcohol will be sold inside the ground, but McKenna said bars will begin closing as Taylor\u2019s fight approaches because organisers do not want \u201cmad busy bars\u201d while the main event is taking place.<\/p>\n

Croke Park and garda\u00ed have also been working on plans for the crowd\u2019s exit, emergency procedures and other risks associated with the event, and locals have voiced concerns about traffic and litter during and after the event.<\/p>\n

For McKenna and his team, however, the measure of whether all those weeks of planning have worked will come only after the ring has been dismantled and the crowds have disappeared.<\/p>\n

Asked what a successful weekend will look like from his perspective, his answer was considerably simpler than the preparations required to achieve it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSunday morning and everybody\u2019s happy,\u201d McKenna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what success looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n