As we gather here today in the mighty Semple Stadium we don’t need to be reminded of the critical role hotels have played in the history of Dis Great Asssosheeayshun of Ours.

Sure, isn’t the Billiards Room of Hayes’s Hotel where the Association was founded in 1884 only a good puck of a sliothar away from where you’re reading this programme note? For many a long year, Barry's Hotel in Gardiner Street, in Dublin, was the semi-official meeting place for teams and fans on the morning of an All Ireland final.

The role of the hotel in GAA became even more important last year with the building of a €24 million hotel just across the road from Croke Park. Apparently, to capitalize on the hotel’s proximity to Croke Park, the GAA is considering developing a new tourism ‘product’ as the fancy marketing people call it. The idea is the GAA Heritage Tour, that will recreate the famous 'Thunder and Lightning' Hurling Final of 1939 - played on the day World War II broke out - when, in the rueful words of the great Jack Lynch, won by Kilkenny 'by the usual point'.

Here is a brief outline of what will be involved in the Heritage Tour. Participants will be required to leave their home town by the earliest possible train to Dublin, without having any breakfast, but carrying hang 'sangwidges' and flasks of strong 'tay' to be consumed on the train. On arrival at Heuston railway station, at around 8.00 a.m. they will change into big leather boots, long belted overcoats draped over their shoulders, flat peaked caps and will be handed a big hurley. The tour group will then tramp in formation along the North Quays to the pro-Cathedral in Marlboroujgh Street to attend early morning Mass. After a quick 'All Ireland' Mass - all done from start to Final Blessing in fifteen minutes by an understanding Franciscan priest - the visitors will then march along Marlborough Street, up to Dorset Street and out along the Clonliffe Road to new GAA hotel.

A few days in advance of each Tour, staff at the hotel will boil and re-boil big vats of cabbage for several days to give the hotel entrance and lobby that authentic 1939 Barry's odour. Waiters and waitresses will be handpicked by officials from the GAA's Press Office. The emphasis will be on fine big strappin' agricultural lads and lassies from the remoter parts of Cavan or Leitrim. They will have to be capable of milkin' up to a hundred cows at a go. The hotel porter will be a small butty type of fellow with a specially greased comb-over hairstyle and a moth eaten military-style cap and jacket.

Naturally, the only sup a' drink available in the Christy Ring Bar will be big, creamy pints of stout - an obvious sponsorship opportunity for some pony-tailed brand manager- or big bottles of red lemonade from Dwans of Thurles. After wetting their whistle according to their taste, the tour group will adjourn to the adjoining Mick O'Connell Dining Room. After Grace Before Meals, recited by Father Aloysius of the Discalced Carmelites, in Clarendon Street, the tour group will be required to tuck away two large platefuls of hairy bacon, cabbage and potatoes, all lashed down by copious pints of the sponsored 'black stuff'. Thus fortified, the happy group will then troop across from the hotel to Croker, where they will try to play sixty minutes of fast and furious hurling, while occasionally belching loudly as they reach for the ball or pull across an opponents shins.

Based on recent market research, the GAA believe there will be a huge market for this type of tourism 'product' , especially in counties like Waterford or Laois that haven't been in a real All Ireland final for years. But the idea will not be confined to visitors 'up from the country'. Dublin residents will be catered for too. For them, there will be the 'The Jack Lynch Cycle Tour'. This will involve leaving the leafy Dublin suburb of Rathgar on the Southside very early on a Sunday morning and cycling all the way to Parnell Park in Raheny, then playing a tough game of Gaelic football - including scoring the winning point - and then, on to the Croke Park hotel where they will join the main party and take part in the scheduled game of hurling on the famous sod.

One of the first groups to enjoy the GAA Heritage Tour. From the Cushendall club in county Antrim

First published in the match programme for Waterford v Cork, Semple Stadium, Sunday June 17th