Munster semi-final attendance below expectation, says Walsh
12,296 punters clicked through the turnstiles in Thurles – 1,000 fewer that the council had hoped for. A worst-case scenario of 13,000 patrons was forecast while a figure of 15,000 would have exceeded all expectations. Walsh revealed: “We were looking for between 13,000 and 15,000. The last time they met in Thurles (2010 semi-final) the attendance was 11,000 in Thurles. But Sunday’s attendance, just above 12,000, was a thousand short of what we expected.”
Walsh confirmed Munster GAA chiefs are keeping a close eye on local and national trends but conceded low figures are a sign of the times as fans feel the economic pinch. He said: “We just have to realise that this is the situation that we’re in and make the best of it. We’re monitoring things the whole time but our packages are good enough to get families in and we believe that our packages to the terraces, which can be bought through clubs at reduced rates, are exceptionally good. We feel that we have done enough in that respect.”
