Attendance figures still formidable

The GAA have released a list of figures that appear to dismiss most of the concerns of falling attendances at this year's hurling and football championships. Combined attendances from the fourth round football qualifiers at the weekend were well up on last year, while last month's three rounds of hurling qualifiers attracted a combined attendance of 73,000 compared to just 49,000 last year.

So far the combined attendance at all football and hurling matches is just over 1.2 million. Last year's total was 1.8 million, and with 10 major championship matches still to be played - and expected to attract 600,000 between them - the overall attendance figure for 2006 should roughly compare to 2005.

Last year, however, six replays over the summer attracted 175,000, including the Dublin-Tyrone quarter-final, which effectively added another 80,000 to the overall figure. So far this summer there have been only four replays, with a combined attendance of 67,000, so on stricter terms the 2006 attendance figures will be greater.

The early rounds of the football qualifiers prompted some warnings of falling attendances, but the figures released by the GAA don't support that. The combined attendance for the football qualifiers last year was 190,000, compared to 183,000 this year - hardly a worrying decline.

The most compelling evidence of stable attendances came at the weekend's fourth round football qualifiers. For the first time they were played at the home venues of one of the teams involved, with the Fermanagh-Donegal game in Enniskillen drawing 17,893; the Kerry-Longford game in Killarney drawing 18,335; the Laois-Offaly game in Portlaoise drawing 16,800; and the Galway-Westmeath game in Pearse Stadium drawing an official attendance of 9,920.

That latter figure, however, doesn't include the large number that were admitted free because of the crowd problems prior to the game - and an attendance of 15,000 has since been estimated.

That brings the combined figure to around 68,000 - far higher than the 52,088 at the same stage last year: 11,374 attended Mayo-Cavan in Hyde Park; 4,714 attended Cork-Sligo in Portlaoise; and 36,000 attended the Tyrone-Monaghan and Laois-Derry double bill in Croke Park. The Croke Park attendance includes season ticket holders, which slightly distorts the overall figure, and makes for even more favourable comparisons to last year.

The GAA are putting that increase down to the home venue policy adopted in the qualifiers for the first time this year: "I honestly think if, say, the Kerry-Longford game had gone to a neutral venue like Limerick then the attendance would have been significantly lower," said the GAA's information officer Fergal McGill.

"It's only the first year of using the home venues, but it seems to work, and for several reasons. I think whenever a team is playing at a home venue there is a better atmosphere. There is also greater pride taken in getting the venue ready. I also think fixing it for a home venue gives you a better idea of what sort of crowd you will get. But the atmosphere at all four matches at the weekend was excellent, and in round three it worked as well, which I don't think we would have got at neutral venues."

Meanwhile, the throw-in times have been confirmed for this Saturday's opening All-Ireland football quarter-finals at Croke Park. Although the Kerry-Armagh game was originally second on the billing, that now starts at 2pm - followed by the Cork-Donegal game at 4pm.

Cork had requested the later throw-in slot as most of their supporters are expected to stay in Dublin over the weekend to attend Sunday's All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Cork and Waterford at 4pm.

That programme starts at 12.30pm with the minor semi-final between Cork against Galway, while the Christy Ring Cup final involving Antrim against Carlow starts at 2pm. There is still no confirmation of the throw-in time for Dublin's quarter-final against Westmeath on Saturday week.

However, it is thought likely that it will be brought forward to 2pm because of Garda concerns over public safety.