If sport is, as some contend, a form of religious devotion, then Croke Park, rising above the capital, is the gleaming cathedral of the new Ireland. Unveiled for this year's championships, the GAA's temple of dreams is set to become the largest stadium in northern Europe. With a planned capacity of 82,500 when Hill 16 is redeveloped within the next few years, only three venues in Europe will be bigger — Barcelona's Nou Camp, Madrid's Bernabeu and Milan's San Siro.
