History of The Gaelic Athletic Association - Timeline of The GAA

Timeline of The GAA

• 1884: The Gaelic Athletic Association is founded on November 1 (Samhain: according to legend the day the Fianna fell from power - they fell from power again in 2011) in Hayes's Hotel in Thurles, County Tipperary
• 1886: Wexford County Board becomes the first GAA county organisation in the country.
• 1887: Tipperary and Limerick win the first All-Ireland Hurling and Football Finals respectively.
• 1892: The rules of hurling and football are altered: Goals are made equal to five points and teams are reduced from 21 to 17-a-side. Inter-county teams introduced to the All-Ireland championships. Congress granted permission for winning club to use players from other clubs in the county thus the inter county teams come into being
• 1896: The value of a goal is further reduced from five points to three points.
• 1900: The provincial councils of Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster are sanctioned.
• 1904: First official camogie matches.
• 1912: The Junior Championships are introduced at All-Ireland level.
• 1913: The Jones's Road Ground, Dublin, is purchased by the GAA and renamed Croke Memorial Park.
• 1920: Bloody Sunday: Twelve spectators and a player, Micheal Hogan, are killed in Croke Park in a raid by Auxiliary Forces during the Irish War of Independence.
• 1923: Galway's hurlers win Connacht's first All-Ireland.
• 1924: The Tailteann Games are held in Croke Park.
• 1925: The declaration rule now means that players can play for their county of birth, rather than their county of residence. Galway win Connacht's first All-Ireland Football title after a series of objections.
• 1926: The first radio broadcast of a GAA match takes place when Galway play Kilkenny.
• 1927: The Railway Cup competitions are introduced.
• 1931: The name Cumann Lúthchleas Gael is adopted.
• 1933: Cavan's footballers win Ulster's first All-Ireland.
• 1932: The first All-Ireland Camogie Championship takes place.
• 1935: The GAA enters its second half century. A crowd of 50,000 attend the All-Ireland Finals.
• 1938: Micheál Ó Hehir commentates on his first GAA match.
• 1939: The Cork versus Kilkenny hurling match is remembered as the "thunder & lightning final" as the climax is played in a storm. On the same day the Second World War begins.
• 1940: The penalty kick and penalty puck are introduced.
• 1947: The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final between Cavan and Kerry is played in the Polo Grounds, New York. Cavan emerge victorious.
• 1954: A hurling record 84,856 attend Croke Park when Cork play Wexford in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final.
• 1959: The 75th anniversary of the GAA is commemorated with the opening of the first cantilevered New Hogan Stand at Croke Park.
• 1960: Down's footballers become the first Northern Ireland county to win an All-Ireland.
• 1961: A record 90,556 attend the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final contested by Down and Offaly at Croke Park.
• 1961: The first Poc Fada tournament is held.
• 1962: The first GAA match is broadcast live on Telefís Éireann (now RTÉ).
• 1967: The first international rules football game is played against a side of Australian origin.
• 1971: The first All-Ireland Club Championships are played. Roscrea win the senior hurling competition and East Kerry win the senior football competition.
• 1974: The Ladies' Gaelic Football Association is founded in Thurles.
• 1976: Páirc Uí Chaoimh is opened in Cork City. It is the first purpose-built GAA stadium.
• 1984: The Gaelic Athletic Association's centenary year. The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final between Cork and Offaly is played in Semple Stadium, Thurles.
• 1993: A grand plan to completely re-construct Croke Park is launched.
• 1996: The new Cusack Stand is opened.
• 1997: The "back door" system is introduced into the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The first All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final between two sides from the same province takes place between Clare and Tipperary, both of Munster.
• 1998: Offaly become the first side to win the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship by springing through the "back door".
• 1999: The Gaelic Players Association is founded.
• 2001: The "back door" system is introduced into the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. Galway become the first football side to win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship by springing through the "back door".
• 2002: The redeveloped Cusack, Canal End and Hogan Stands are officially opened.
• 2003: The first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final between two sides from the same province takes place between Tyrone and Armagh, both of Ulster.
• 2004: The first Tommy Murphy Cup is played.
• 2005: The first Christy Ring Cup and Nicky Rackard Cup are held.
• 2005: The re-development of Hill 16 is completed and is functional for the All-Ireland Senior Championship Finals.
• 2005: The GAA relaxes Rule 42, which gives temporary permission for soccer and rugby internationals to be played at Croke Park from 2007 while Lansdowne Road, the home of both sports, is being rebuilt.
• 2007: The first game to be played in Croke Park under lights. The largest league attendance ever of 81,678 is also recorded - Dublin are beaten 0-10 to 0-11 by Tyrone.
• 2009: The 125th anniversary of the GAA is commemorated with a floodlit National Football League opening match between Dublin and Tyrone.