Yesterday's game was perhaps best summed up afterwards by a tweet from Mark Poland (@polie11).
#alpacino #AnyGivenSunday #inches he wasn’t wrong was he? What a match that was today! #KilkennyvTipp
Spot on by the Down footballer.
It was an incredible game, inspiring for any young boy or girl at Croke Park for the final.
Though it was a pity most of the children who were brought to the previous rounds were left at home yesterday.
Remember when the All-Ireland senior hurling semi-finals were played together as a double-header?
Twenty years ago, the semi-finals drew a combined audience of 45,053. Last month's semi-final between Kilkenny and Limerick topped that, attracting 45,478, while the second semi-final, between Cork and Tipperary, drew a phenomenal 68,728 to Croke Park.
The rise has been spectacular, and the past two seasons have seen another rise (not counting replays).
One of the big reasons appears to be the GAA’s success in keeping ticket prices down, and making concessions – particularly family passes – more available.
But it’s the wrong day to be patting the GAA on the back. The €80 no- concession price tag to sit in Croker on final day prevents many, many genuine fans from attending.
While the price will drop for the replay, the discrepancy needs to be addressed.
How many children were in Croke Park yesterday?
Very few, compared with every other club and county match throughout the GAA calendar.
At least there will be such an item as a children’s ticket for the replay on Saturday, September 27th (5pm).
Children’s tickets will be €10, a terrace ticket is €25, and a stand ticket is reduced by €30 to €50.
GET EOIN TO THE MATCH ON TIME
Yesterday’s final was hardly over when the jokes started to fly about the GAA fixing the replay for the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick because Croke Park was pre-booked.
Presumably no one was taken in by the joke.
However, many (including a rival national newspaper) were taken in by reports that the replay (September 27th) would clash with Kilkenny forward Eoin Larkin’s wedding day.
Not true.
Even the Kilkenny County Board felt the need to send out a tweet last night denying the reports.
