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11th October 2023
11:55am BST
This season, families are invited to visit Santa Claus as he takes up residence at the home of Gaelic Games for his special training camp to help him prepare for his magical journey around the globe on Christmas Eve.
GAA families are invited to merge their love of the sport with Christmas and head down to the GAA Museum to visit Santa as he makes his annual trip to Croke Park. On Saturday, November 18th, St. Nick will set up shop where he will meet all girls and boys on selected dates until Friday, December 22nd, when he and his reindeer will depart to ensure all lists are checked twice to avoid missing any Christmas present deliveries! This Croke Park Santa experience also includes access to behind the scenes of 'winter wonderland' and guided tours by the Ice Patrol into the North Pole GAA Dressing Rooms, where kids can see where all your favourite hurling and football stars tog out on game day. [caption id="attachment_434651" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Credit: ETC PR[/caption]
All visitors will be treated as VIPs, as they will also have the chance to take part in fun and festive games at the Skills Zone, as well as a letter-writing activity where their letters for Santa at Cú Chulainn’s Den will get stamped with the official Sam & Liam stamps and posted in the GAA Museum post box.
The excitement doesn't end there. Visitors will also head into the Croke Park Cabin to meet Bainisteoir of Christmas himself, take a photo with him (these can be purchased or taken yourself), and guess predictions for the 2024 GAA All-Ireland Championship. Here, every child will be gifted a GAA-themed present to take home with them. [caption id="attachment_434652" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Credit: Getty[/caption]
The Croke Park Santa Experience also allows access into the award-winning GAA Museum, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, and learns all about the history of GAA in Ireland. The original Sam Maguire and Liam MacCarthy cups will also be on display in the museum.
Each museum-goer will be given a GAA Museum Junior Explorer passport and can then follow the North Pole GAA trail, find the answers to the clues that the museum mascot Cluasóg has left throughout the museum, and possibly be rewarded with a prize for their efforts! Not only that, but all Santa visitors will be treated to a 50% discount voucher on Stadium Tours—the gift that keeps on giving. [caption id="attachment_434653" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Credit: Getty[/caption]
The experience, which lasts 50 minutes, is run in groups and is wheelchair and buggy accessible and all children must be accompanied by an adult.
Free parking is available outside the GAA Museum with entry to Croke Park at St Joseph’s Avenue (turn at the Daybreak Shop on the Clonliffe Road).
All tickets must be pre-booked online in advance at crokepark.ie/santa.
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