Fans line out for historic clash of the ash

WILL the Cats lap it up once again or have the Reds got what it takes to curdle their cream?

That’s what hurling fans will be contemplating as they make their way by road, rail and air to Dublin for the clash of the ash in the All-Ireland final between Cork and Kilkenny in Croke Park tomorrow.

The Cats may have used up one of their nine lives following their defeat to Wexford in the Leinster final but coming up against the Rebels might make them see red as Cork set out to avenge last year’s defeat by spoiling Kilkenny’s dreams of a three-in-a-row.

But history is guaranteed tomorrow regardless of the outcome.

It is the 22nd time they have come up against each other in the final. Kilkenny lead the head-to-head battle by 12-7 after the sides had two draws in 1931.

More importantly, the team which emerges victorious at the final whistle will edge ahead in the total number of championship titles. Both Cork and Kilkenny have 28.

Another piece of history will also be notched up as tomorrow’s encounter is the first time since the introduction of the “back door” system that both finalists will have already suffered defeat in the earlier rounds of the championship.

Both county boards have reported exceptional interest in the match as fans clamour to get their hands on a prized ticket for the eagerly awaited encounter.

It is estimated that Cork and Kilkenny have only around 20,000 tickets between them as their official allocation, even though thousands of ticketless fans are also likely to make the journey to Dublin to soak up the atmosphere of All-Ireland day.

A GAA spokesperson said only a small number of tickets are likely to have fallen into the hands of touts because of the association’s distribution scheme, which allocates the vast majority of tickets to local clubs.

However, pairs of tickets with a face value of 120 have been fetching over 250 on the black market during the week and prices could rise even higher in the countdown to tomorrow’s game.

The GAA also repeated its warning that anyone who bought one of 200 tickets for the Lower Cusack Stand which were stolen last month have no guarantee of gaining admission to Croke Park.

However, the GAA has emerged as the one clear winner before tomorrow’s throw-in as it expects a record €4 million in gate receipts from the 78,500 sell-out attendance.

Gardaí have warned travelling supporters not to park their vehicles illegally on roads near Croke Park. A garda spokesperson said offenders would face a minimum fine of €130 if their cars were clamped.