Fans urged to arrive early for finals

IT’S AN unusual set of AIB AllIreland club finalists, representatives from all four provinces, two of which are seeking a first title for club or county, and the GAA has urged anyone coming to Croke Park for tomorrow afternoon’s showdowns to purchase tickets in advance.

This is not some marketing exercise, but rather an exercise in expediency, given most club finals of recent years have experienced some delays at the turnstiles.

To deter delays tomorrow, the GAA is affording supporters the opportunity – financially and logistically – to purchase tickets in advance of arriving at the stadium. Up until midnight tonight, tickets can be purchased at a 40 per cent reduction through the GAA website, ticketmaster, and selected outlets. After that they can be purchased on the day, with several additional ticket boxes being set up in the vicinity of Croke Park, but the discount will not apply.

“We would really urge anyone coming to Croke Park on Wednesday to try and purchase they tickets in advance,” said GAA press officer Alan Milton. “We’ve put on a number of additional outlets to cater for this in the best way we can, plus there is great value now, with the discounted price still available up until midnight Tuesday. We’ve also had a strong advertising campaign around this.

“Also, originally the plan was to reduce the discount as the game got closer, but it was decided instead to keep the discount at 40 per cent right up until the night before. We will also be providing a number of additional outlets on the day, but these are the last resort, as it is in everyone’s best interest to purchase tickets in advance. We’ve had some criticism in the past about delays in the getting tickets on the day, but there will be no excuses this time.

“If it’s a good day, you’re still going to get quite a few people coming up to the ground on the day. But the value and opportunity to purchase tickets in advance is there now.”

The reduced ticket prices has adult tickets available at € 15, and children at € 5, and these are available from www.gaa.ie, ticketmaster outlets nationwide, plus Dublin Tourism, Suffolk street; Elverys Store, O’Connell Street; and Centra, Dame Street.

The hurling final between Ballyhale Shamrocks of Kilkenny and Portumna of Galway is up first, at 2pm, followed by the football final between Kilmurry-Ibrickane of Clare and St Gall’s of Antrim at 3.45pm.

History will be made irrespective of who wins what – a Ballyhale victory would see them move to the top of the hurling honours on five titles, one ahead of Birr. If Portumna win, they will become the first club in either code to win three successive All-Ireland titles, having won the last two titles with wins over Birr and De La Salle.

In the football, both Kilmurry-Ibrickane and St Gall’s are not only bidding for a first football title, but no club from Antrim or Clare has previously won the football crown.

Last year, a combined attendance of 32,952 showed up to see Portumna comfortably beat De La Salle, before Dublin champions Kilmacud Crokes beat Crossmaglen Rangers for the football title.

With an encouraging weather forecast, the GAA are anticipating a similarly high attendance. “We would be targeting over 30,000 again,” added Milton.

Ballyhale against Portumna is the battle between the two current heavyweights of club hurling.

Between them, they have won the last four All-Ireland titles with Portumna prevailing in 2006, 2008 and 2009, while Ballyhale were successful in 2007.

Incredibly, Portumna have not lost a game since going down to Loughrea in the controversial 2006 Galway final, and their consistency is again reflected in the team line-up. Manager Johnny Kelly has made one change from the side that defeated Dunloy in the semi-final, with Niall Hayes, who was suspended the last day, returning to the half-forward line in place of Ciarán Ryan.

The football, in contrast, has two clubs from nearly opposite ends of the country, both of whom have made it to Croke Park against the odds. St Gall’s twice survived extra-time, beating Cavan Gaels in the first round in Ulster, and also Corofin in the All-Ireland semi-final; while Kilmurry-Ibrickane, who haven’t conceded a goal in three Munster and two All-Ireland championship games, upset Kerins O’Rahillys and Portlaoise to get this far.

Kilmurry-Ibrickane also got a pre-match boost yesterday with news forward Noel Downes is fit to play, despite retiring with a shoulder injury after scoring 1-2 in that semi-final against Portlaoise.

PORTUMNA (SH v Ballyhale Shamrocks): I Canning; A O’Donnell, E McEntee, O Canning; G Heagney, M Ryan, P Smith; L Smith, E Lynch; N Hayes, K Hayes, A Smith; D Hayes, J Canning, M Dolphin.