The GAA gave a very informative and interesting tour of Croke Park this morning. We were able to see the players’ locker rooms, VIP Lounges, celebratory event space, and of course the field, or as they call it the pitch. A commercial opportunity for the GAA would be to conduct partnerships and deals with other local companies. While we were walking around, I did not notice the influence of other companies besides the GAA upon the stadium, which is something that is very obvious in the states. I did not notice any vendor space inside the stadium itself either. I believe that seeking out connections with local companies would prove to be a mutually beneficial relationship, as these companies could help improve the facilities in exchange for advertising. 

A commercial challenge I noticed for the GAA would be the maintenance required to upkeep the pitch. As we were told today, the grass pitch where everything is played is given daily attention. The entire length of the grass must be mowed everyday, using push mowers. They also had to install heating, sprinkler, and water pumping systems within the field to ensure that it does not freeze over, dry out, or flood, respectively. To me, it seems that the energy and resources put into this field would limit the GAA in other ways as they have to put so much focus on that.