Ulster clashes best value for fans

NOT only is Ulster the most competitive and entertaining of the provinces in this year’s football championship, it’s the cheapest to watch too.

A comparative survey of ticket prices for the four provincials finals has revealed that Ulster provides better value for money in a number of areas.

While seats in the main covered stands at the Leinster, Munster and Connacht finals all cost €35, Ulster’s asking price is €5 cheaper. A ticket for the uncovered stand in Clones will also cost €3 less than the equivalent in Pairc Uí Chaoimh for the Kerry-Cork games last weekend.

Family tickets are just as competitive up north. While €5 for juveniles is common across the board, Ulster is asking for just €27 for the adult family tickets. The equivalent cost €35 in Cork last Sunday and a similar amount will be required on Sunday week for the Dublin-Wexford tie in HQ.

Ticket prices in Ulster have not increased this year with the Ulster Council taking the dip in the economy’s fortunes into account.

However, the prices to those customers paying through sterling have been altered to reflect the changing exchange rate in recent months.

The Munster Council charged the same for the football decider as it will for Sunday’s hurling equivalent with the main stand in Limerick’s Gaelic Grounds costing €35 and the uncovered stand €30.

Entry to the terraces will cost €20 while there will be deductions for students and OAPs while family tickets are also available in the some venues.

Meanwhile, Croke Park stadium director Peter McKenna has played down the financial hit the GAA will have suffered from Sunday’s paltry Leinster final crowd at headquarters.

Only 18,855 people paid in to see Kilkenny romp to yet another facile win in the provincial decider and the accepted break-even figure for games at the ground is in and around 30,000. However, McKenna claims the formula for working out the financial profit or loss from opening the ground is far more complicated.

“It is actually quite hard to come up with a figure. We have created a scenario whereby we calculate it on the basis of so many adults paying per ticket so it is all related to the prices.”