Hurling fans to tackle €185 rail deal

IARNRÓD ÉIREANN plans to charge its customers €185 each for seats aboard its luxury executive train to this weekend’s All-Ireland final.

While thousands of Cork supporters will be scrambling today for 17,000 regular seats, the 100 passengers on the four-star service will receive a full breakfast on the trip, a match programme and an evening meal on their return. The €185 tickets are only marginally cheaper than return flights to Dublin, which are selling for around €200 from local travel agents.

But Iarnród Éireann expect seats on the luxury executive train to sell out and has defended the €185 seat price.

“It is a luxury four-star service with a high standard of decor, a breakfast on the way up and a full meal on the way down. They get brought directly to Croke Park [by bus] and for some people, it’s a special day for them and it’s a lovely way to travel,” said spokeswoman Clíona Ní Fharthara.

The luxury executive train is a non-timetable service and is used for corporate packages to events such as the Wexford Opera Festival and the Irish Open.

“We use it if the demand is there and if we have a crew available. Obviously, the regular service takes precedence always because we have to cater for our regular passengers,” said Ms Ní Fharthara.

Iarnród Éireann is providing 17,000 seats on match trains from Cork, Mallow and Charleville to Dublin’s Connolly Station for this weekend’s hurling final. Tickets will go on sale today, with a limit of two per person. They will be sold on a first come, first served basis to callers to a dedicated phone line: 021-455-7242.

Iarnród Éireann has warned that, despite the huge volume of tickets for sale, demand for seats is expected to exceed supply. It is at pains to avoid a repeat of scenes at Kent Station last month, when hundreds of supporters gathered at 2am to queue for train tickets to the Cork-Wexford hurling semi-final. Gardaí were called when a group of about 50 supporters demanded tickets and complained that the situation had been handled badly by Iarnród Éireann.

The company is now providing control cards for the regular train service, which be issued free of charge with rail tickets. Both will be required for supporters to board the train.

Alcohol will be served on match trains as well as on the luxury train. “We don’t have any restrictions on the Cork route as regards alcohol. It hasn’t been a problem for us although obviously it’s something we monitor on an ongoing basis, especially on these very busy weekends,” said Ms Ní Fharthara.