Croker to reap championship weekend bonanza

CROKE PARK will be this weekend’s big winner, its coffers raking in over €3 million from GAA fans.

It’s an 80,000 sellout crowd today, with home favourites Dublin and fancied Tyrone in the All-Ireland quarter-final bringing in ticket receipts of €1.4m.

For this match ticket prices range from €5 for children to €30 for adults.

Tomorrow, a smaller crowd, about 50,000, is expected for the all-Munster hurling clash of Clare and 10/3-on favourites Cork in the Guinness All-Ireland semi-final. But receipts should be higher, at €1.6m, with the standard adult ticket rising to €40.

Trading profits at the GAA stadium have risen from €8.8 million in 2002 to nearly €10m in 2003 and are set to break that barrier when 2004 figures are published later this year.

Legions of Dublin football fans have given a major boost to the finances of the GAA’s flagship venue.

Their team was involved when the year’s biggest crowd so far was recorded.

At the Leinster football semi-final double-header, on June 19, an attendance of 82,072 saw Dublin beat Wexford and Laois overcome Kildare.

On August 28, Cork and Kerry meet in the Bank of Ireland All-Ireland football semi-final in Croke Park, a ‘replay’ of this year’s Munster final.

Traditionally, Kerry supporters do not travel until the All-Ireland final so attendances are expected to be on the low side.

Getting to Croke Park is costly for Munster supporters, and is especially so this year for Cork fans, with both their football and hurling teams in the final stages of the championship.

“You’re talking about the bones of €140-€150 - and that’s for one person - for the day out,” according to Kerry GAA county secretary Eamonn O’Sullivan.

“There are no discounts for students; that’s one of the things we’re a small bit upset about. On the special trains they have to pay the full whack.”

Suggestions were floated to have the August 28 game played in Munster. However, officials in both counties note that the rules stipulate that all-Ireland semi-finals be played at Croke Park.

Team managers also favour getting the ‘feel’ of the stadium while it is the dream of GAA players to tog out in a major game at Headquarters.

Visitors who take their cars to Dublin are frequently clamped for illegal parking. The standard fine is €80, but the owner risks paying €160 if the clamping fine is not paid within 24 hours and the car is towed to the pound. Each day the car is left costs €35 in storage fees.