Australia offers trip of a lifetime for Irish sports fans
Ireland's second and decisive Test encounter in the Compromise Rules Series, will be played 24 hours prior to Ireland's last World Cup rugby Pool A group game against the Australians.
Both games will be played in Melbourne, with the GAA game on Friday, October 31, at the Telstra Stadium. The rugby encounter is on the following night at the Docklands Stadium
The Australian Spring Racing Festival which includes the famed Melbourne Cup is also under starters orders on the weekend in question.
In conjunction with the Australian Football League, the GAA has confirmed dates and venues for the two games which will be played in Australia during the October 24-31 period. The first game will be played at the Serpico Oval in Perth on Friday, October 24, and the second at the MCG in Melbourne on Friday, October 31. Both games will start at approximately 7.30pm, but these exact times must be confirmed.
Ireland are still smarting from the narrow defeat by the Australians in Croke Park last October in the 2002 Series which attracted a combined attendance of 121,542 spectators.
Strangely Ireland have an excellent record on Australian soil, winning the two tests in Melbourne and Adelaide in the 2001 series. The last time a Test game was played in Perth was in 1990 which the Australians won.
The Irish team will again be sponsored by Coca Cola and supporters’ packages are available from Abbey Travel, Dublin.
Dermot Mulligan of Abbey Travel said there has been a good response to the GAA trip but it’s early days yet.
“So far we have about 200 enquiries, and going on the numbers who travelled out with us in 2001, I would expect close to 500 people to make the trip.
“Enquiries for the rugby trip have been massive and we expect to carry 1,500 people. Sixteen days accommodation, international flights, two internal flights, match tickets for Ireland’s pool games and all the relevant taxes will cost €4,550; without accommodation it will cost €3,450.
“When you are out there, you can take in the GAA matches and the Melbourne horse racing which makes it a trip of a lifetime for sporting followers”, he said.
Meanwhile the referees for the All-Ireland Club hurling and football championship finals at Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day have been announced.
Seán McMahon (Clare) will referee the hurling final between holders Birr (Offaly) and Dunloy (Antrim) which has a 2pm start.
Cavan's Brian Crowe will take charge of the football final between Nemo Rangers (Cork) and Crossmolina (Mayo), which is a repeat of the 2001 decider.
That game kicks off at 3.40pm.
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