After Bon Jovi rocked Croke Park last weekend, the team had to move fast to turn the stadium into a boxing ring for Katie Taylor's final bout.

Croke Park is still primarily used for GAA matches, but over the years, we've seen a number of other events being held in the iconic stadium.

Now it is embarking on another new venture by hosting a boxing match to mark Bray-native Katie Taylor's final fight.

This isn't the first time Croke Park has hosted a boxing match, as it was the venue for Muhammad Ali vs Alvin Lewis in 1972, but we doubt they had a full rock concert on before that.

Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show, Peter McKenna is Stadium and Commercial Director at Croke Park, explained that they are ready to go and just how much work went into the turnover from concert to boxing venue.

He said: "A lot of work has gone into this over the last week or so. We had to take down the Bon Jovi set up to put up the Katie Taylor ring and all the seats are on the pitch, but the place is looking really well."

When asked about the differences between preparing for a fight night and a concert, Mr McKenna added: "Probably the most interesting difference is that bouts have an indeterminate time, whereas a match, for example, has a very definite time.

"So depending when Katie's fights finish, that's when crowds will start to go. So we have to be ready for the crowd to go almost like from when she gets into the ring.

"Concerts similarly have a very, very tight schedule. Everybody knows what the playlist is. So we know when the build up to the last couple of songs is going to be and we get ready for exiting."

The curfew is still the same for the fight as it is for gigs, so by 11pm, everything should be finished.

Considering there's seating on the pitch for this event, how does this impact the grass preparation for the 2027 season?

Well, Mr McKenna reassured listeners that the pitch is "effectively gone at this stage" and they will be retaining the top end of it. 

The replacement pitch is ready to be moved in in the next few weeks.

For more information on the event and all you need to know about the Katie Taylor fight, see our guide here.

Main image: Katie Taylor in Croke Park, Picture supplied by: Lidl Ireland