The first match you saw in Croke Park

[waterfordlad]

First game in Croke Park was Clare v Offaly All Ireland hurling final in 1995. I was 18. I went with my father a Clareman and a load of relations from Clare although we weren't sitting together. Great occasion though not a great game. Ended up on the pitch afterwards with thousands of Clare people for the celebrations.
First Waterford game at Croke Park was like deiseach the All Ireland quarter final v Galway in 1998. That was Waterford's first championship appearance at Croke Park since 1963 and we beat Galway easily with Tony Browne giving a great display.

[seafoid]

That was such a sickener, Deiseach. And a marker for everything that followed.
Played Waterford 14 times and never won. FFS.

Cheer up, it's only 10 times!

Is that all? Ah, that's much better.
But I read in the IT it was 14.

[Hereiam]

I was about 15yrs old
It was an All Ireland club Final on St Patricks Day in the early nineties
Went with two friends
I remember the hails stones battin the face of me.

[AZOffaly]

Birr v Dunloy ? I seem to remember one of Birr's AI wins (although I think this was a draw) had awful cold weather.

[JBM on the 21]

What age were you?  16
Who was playing, what year  ?  1988 - Cork/Meath replay
Who did you go with ? The Uncle
Do you remember anything about it ? Sitting in old Cusack - half time went to bathroom to find hundreds of lads just piss*ng up against the wall - urine flowing all over the place.

[johnneycool]

Birr v Dunloy ? I seem to remember one of Birr's AI wins (although I think this was a draw) had awful cold weather.

And the wind blowing the hoardings over at the Cusack stand which was then under construction..

First trip was to a NFL game, Dublin vrs Kildare some time in the winter of the early 80's with a school mate and his ma and da who took us to Dublin for a weekend and got to Croke Park on the sunday. Frozen stupid in the old Hogan stand.

[seafoid]

Birr v Dunloy ? I seem to remember one of Birr's AI wins (although I think this was a draw) had awful cold weather.

I seem to remember it always being cold on SPD for the club finals. 

[Milltown Row2]

Birr v Dunloy ? I seem to remember one of Birr's AI wins (although I think this was a draw) had awful cold weather.

I seem to remember it always being cold on SPD for the club finals.

Our club final against Salthill was the worst, not only for the shit result and how we underperformed that day but the weather was the worst I've ever attended, played in worse but .......

[Shamrock Shore]

So it looks like I am provisional oldest lemon here until some auld timers like Hardy and Lar naParka row in.

I would guess Hardy was at the 1967 AIF at the very least (perhaps the Leinster final that year)  whereas LnP was surely there in for the AI semi in 1967 or 1969.

[Estimator]

What age were you?
13

Who was playing, what year?
1992
National League Semi Finals: Derry v Meath and Dublin v Tyrone

Who did you go with?
Father and Brother.

Do you remember anything about it?
Derry winning.
Sat in the lower Hogan almost on the half way line. 
Not a massive crowd for the two games.
Standing at the back of the lower Hogan waiting on the final whistle to go in the second game to start the run/sprint for the car so we could beat the north bound traffic.

[RealSpiritof98]

What age were you?
11

Who was playing, what year?
1994 National League Final Armagh v Meath

Who did you go with?
Father Uncles and Brother. 7 of us in a 5 seater.

Do you remember anything about it?
Houly hitting the bar, McGurk missing a peno. Didnt have tickets, got pulled under the turnstiles. Hard to comprehend now but if Armagh had of won that the place would have went mental. Also the height of the crane on the Cusack stand end really stuck with me.

[rosnarun]

What age were you? 10
Who was playing, what year  ? Mayo V Down NFL semi final 1978
Who did you go with ? Father and 2 Brothers
Do you remember anything about it ? Train we went on went from Heustion  to Connolly bring us Right by Croke park and the 1st view of the stadium is still probably the mos impressive sight i ahve yet scene. Also we bought a Rad and green teddy bear who still comes to big games

[MusclesMagoo]

What age were you? 7
Who was playing, what year  ? Dublin v Galway All Ireland Final 1983
Who did you go with ? Father
Do you remember anything about it ? Got lost under the Cusack Stand while going to the jacks on my own. Goes to show how times have changed!!

[aontroim abu]

same as Aontroim Abu, 1977 All Ireland Final, in the Canal End. A life-changing experience.

sitting on my da's knee in the lower Hogan, lifted over the stiles. Feck I'm old

[sensethetone]

What age were you?
Who was playing, what year  ?
Who did you go with ?
Do you remember anything about it ?

aged 11
tyrone vs mayo 1989 ai semi-finall
uncle and his mates in a saab
eugene mc kennas goal