Disappointment for hundreds as final tickets are all snapped up
Hundreds of fans were disappointed even though the Cork County Board had restricted each purchaser to two tickets.
The County Board had advertised that the 6,000 tickets would go on sale.
Board Chairman Jim Forbes, describing the demand as “phenomenal,” and explained that they had decided to limit tickets to two per person in the interest of fairness.
“There wasn’t much point in giving people what they wanted. No matter what we decided, people wouldn’t have felt it was fair. But, you had to have a system in place,’’ he said.
Similarly, tickets were quickly snatched up by supporters in Waterford. In the city, it had been planned to put them on sale from 11am in Walsh Park, but large queues resulted in the opening being brought forward by an hour. In Dungarvan, 600 tickets were snapped up within two hours.
“All we can do is hope that we get some more,’’ said Waterford County Board PRO John Jackson.
The tickets for the Munster SHC Final were sold out in record time on the Croke Park website gaa.ie.
Over 400 hundred tickets for Sunday’s meeting of Cork and Waterford were sold online within 40 minutes last week.
Frank Cronin, CEO of Setanta Media who operate the site for the GAA, said that web based ticket sales are increasing at a phenomenal rate each year.
But even he was surprised by the demand for the Thurles decider.
“It was as fast as the machine could process it,” he said of the orders for the Semple Stadium tie.
“Most of the people had their orders entered within 20 minutes of the site opening. It was phenomenal.”
Cronin admits to being surprised by the success of web based ticket sales in the world of GAA.
“It is fantastic. We have been doing it for three years and every year it is growing. There is a very loyal audience. The GAA being democratic must sort out the club first and foremost and then supply us with about 500 tickets.
Tickets now for the important matches now literally sell within an hour or two and there is a loyal fan base who use the web.”
He also believes that Croke Park may consider increasing the use of new technology to cater for the growing demand for tickets.
“The GAA are happy with the arrangement with the web. I believe they would be keen to further develop this side of things in the years to come.”
Meanwhile, tickets are on sale on the web for the Guinness SHC qualifier between Tipperary and Limerick on Saturday evening at the Gaelic Grounds along with the Bank of Ireland Leinster SFC semi-final featuring Wexford and Westmeath at Croke Park
Meanwhile, both managements will be able to pick from full-strength squads for the game, a repeat of last year’s final.
John Gardiner is fit to line out for holders Cork after recovering from a hand injury which kept him out of the Under-21 championship game against Clare.
Likewise, Tony Browne has overcome a hamstring injury and is reported to be available for selection by Waterford, as are Ken and Eoin McGrath, who were both forced off injured in the semi-final win over Tipperary.
The expectation is that Browne will resume his position at right half-back, displacing Brian Wall.
On the Cork team, it remains to be seen if Gardiner will be picked in his usual midfield position or at right half-back where he finished against Limerick. The probability is that the Na Piarsaigh dual star will start in the centre. Pat Mulcahy is unlikely to be considered, having just returned to club action following a car accident earlier in the year.
*RTÉ and the Connacht Council have agreed to a live telecast of the Roscommon/Leitrim Bank of Ireland Connacht senior football championship replay on Saturday.
The game is fixed for Hyde Park at 5.30pm and will be preceded by the minor football game between the same counties (3.45pm).
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