Semi-final attendances surge 33,000 over 2012 equivalents

The combined attendances at the All-Ireland hurling semi-finals over the past two Sundays amounted to over 33,000 more than the cumulative figure for the 2012 semi-finals.

The crowd in Croke Park at the weekend was 62,962, which was 870 more than the attendance at the first semi-final between Cork and Dublin (60,092).

Last year’s Kilkenny v Tipperary semi-final attracted 50,243 supporters and the attendance for the Galway v Cork game was 41,550.

It means that the total attendance at this year’s semi-finals was up by 33,261 on last year’s figure, 125,054, compared to 91,793.

Interestingly, the biggest attendances at semi-final games in hurling over the last decade were for Cork v Waterford in 2006 (61,753) and Cork v Wexford in 2004 (63,223).

There were several occasions when hurling semi-finals were paired with football quarter-finals, most recently 2009 (Kilkenny v Waterford and Meath v Mayo), when the attendance was 61,962. When Limerick and Waterford’s hurling game in 2007 was paired with Kerry v Monaghan in a football quarter-final, the attendance was 80,546.

In general, attendances at All-Ireland semi-final and final games have increased significantly since the redevelopment of Croke Park. Begun in 1993, it was completed in 2005 when the Hill 16 and Nally End terraces were officially reopened. This brought ground capacity to 82,300, of which 69,000 is seated.