There was excitement, optimism and general delight when Galway announced they had submitted a detailed proposal to the Government on June 28th.

The Curragh had just successfully hosted a pilot crowd of 1,000 for the Irish Derby, there were crowds at Mount Juliet golf course for each day of the Irish Open that same week and the GAA also welcomed back spectators for inter-county matches, with more and more fans expected to attend single games in the coming weeks.