It was Eugene O’Sulliven and John Clifford who were appointment with me to select a suitable playing pitch to commemorate the Dr Crokes famous All-Ireland footballer, Dick Fitzgerald. We selected Courtney’s field now known as Fitzgerald’s Stadium. It involved purchasing , in addition two adjoining field. I remember how often I stood at the wall in front of the Mental Hospital and mentally visualised the whole project even to the execution of the stepping of the terrace. But I used to feel “down in the dumps” when I said to myself that this pitch was out of the question unless we got strips of land from Pat O’Mahony and the late Michael Cronin. I used to feel that to persuade Mike Cronin was a waste of time when Jerry O’Leary informed me that it was practically impossible to do business with Mike (ar dheis Dego raibh a anam) Particularly in regard to land deals. So I was commissioned to negotiate the deal with Mike and I got the moral support. In advance, of Mike’s nephew of High Street. Strangely enough when I explained to Mike what the Stadium would mean for Killarney he became quite sympathetic and most co-operative.

The original field consisted of a large hillock, running down from the level of the Mental Hospital well into the centre of the present playing pitch, 25 to 30 feet below, though not to the same extent at each end of the field. The stepping and removal of this hillock and its removal to other parts of the pitch created a natural stand occupying one half of the pitch and curved to the rear of each goal line.

The work involved the construction of the mass concrete pillars and walls surrounding the Stadium, with the special curved entrance on the main road. All the concret work was designed by the principle of the Technical School, the late Mr. Michael Reidy.

The pitch was specially levelled with the centre approximatately 12 to 14 inches higher than the sidelines and endlines. The Town Surveyor Mr. John Galvin, gave us the necessary levels. Apart from the experts advice of both these technologists there was no skilled or other technical advice in connection with the wor. We were helped by members of the Mental Hospital Staff, three in particular-Denis Hurley, the 1924 Tailteann Games Munster goalie;Myo Murphy, and Tim O’Donoghue – and about 40 to 50 patients from the Mental Hospital daily for about four years. Members and sympathisers from the Dr Croke Club and others of the Mental Hospital staff did not spare themselves, particularly on Thursdays, and also working in the late evenings during the Summer months.

It was the first major undertaking of the subsequently developed Occupational Therapy Department of the hospital and could be described as its “opus magnum”. The estimated commercial cost of the undertaking at the time was given as about £24,000, while the actual sum available and spent was only about £3000. It is still not completed but in its present unfinished state it is capable, with proper stewarding, of housing about 60,000 spectators. Standing on the terrace mentioned above holds about 30,000 and the sideline seating, when completed, will hold close on 20,000 (at present about 12.000) while the popular side to the south, has accommodation for about 18,000.

The playing pitch, at the commencement of construction work, was laid out to a length of 170 yards, which at the time was the maximum mentioned in the rules. There was so much publicity given to the later fact that some feel that  the Association, at its next Congress altered the 170 yards to its current dimension of 160.