www.uibhfhaili.com

This is a bit of a plug but I bought both football and hurling versions last year. Found it very good. It seems to be better this year. I've always wanted some system where the faithful fans get access to big game tickets and this is a step in the right direction. (I'm not involved in the GAA administration so I have no commercial act to grind).


A chara, The GAA has launched a Season Ticket for the 2009 season. The GAA Season Ticket is county specific & code specific, so that means you need one for hurling and one for football. The Ticket provides entry to the stand for one person at all of your county’s Allianz GAA National League matches & GAA Senior Championship matches. You can buy the Ticket on-line only and you will need a credit card or Laser Card to do so. You pay an initial base price of €75 that includes all of your county’s League round matches plus the opening Championship match. Your credit card or Laser Card will then be charged for each subsequent match that your county plays in whether you attend or not. Having attended 60% of their County's games, dedicated fans will be entitled to purchase an All-Ireland Final ticket if their County reaches the All-Ireland Final. Please see http://www.gaa.ie for further details. Le fíor-mheas,GAA Ticket Office

The idea of this scheme is good.
There are many county fans who might no longer be involved enough with their club to warrant an All Ireland ticket.
On All Ireland day, many people breeze in with tickets who haven't been at a match in years, while regular match goers have to fight for scraps.

Where it doesn't suit Offaly is that there are separate hurling and football tickets.
On many Sunday's you have to choose between a hurling and football league match.
There should be a dual option also at a discount.

This also stipulates 'If your county reaches an All Ireland Final'. I would contend that someone who has a season ticket for league games should be given a better shot at an All Ireland ticket, even when their team does not Qualify.

Really, is that a perk of the scheme if you come from anyone bar Kerry, Tyrone, Galway, Kilkenny, Tipp, Cork, Armagh, Dublin and a few others who might have realistic ambitions of being in Croker for one or both deciders?

As an Offaly man, much as I love to dream otherwise, it is extremely unlikely that we'll be troubling the Hats, Flags, Scarfs and Headbands merchants in September, so what use is a carrot to All Ireland Final tickets, if it's dependant on Offaly reaching a final.

Sales figures.
Perhaps counties like Offaly who are in the lower divisions in the league should get a discount.
Admission prices are less outside of Division 1, so the season ticket shouldn't cost the same for all.

Hurling

Tipperary 250 (Sold Out)
Limerick 128
Waterford 109
Kilkenny 102
Galway 99
Clare 61
Cork 56
Wexford 13
Dublin 12
Antrim 3
Laois 0
Offaly 0

Football

Dublin 259 (Sold Out)
Tyrone 250 (Sold Out)
Mayo 220
Kerry 216
Armagh 176
Meath 117
Monaghan 96
Galway 77
Westmeath 65
Donegal 56
Roscommon 55
Kildare 41
Down 40
Fermanagh 39
Laois 34
Derry 30
Cavan 28
Wexford 21
Louth 15
Longford 13
Offaly 13
Wicklow 9
Cork 8
Carlow 7
Limerick 7
Leitrim 6
Sligo 5
Antrim 3
Clare 1
Kilkenny 0
London 0
Tipperary 0
Waterford 0

Its a pity that St. Brendans park isn't able to host the hurling fixtures. They might sell a few then even if it is division 2

Those sales figures are wrong because they sold at least one hurling ticket in Offaly well before Christmas, to me.

Mind you it hasn't arrived so I hope this isn't a bad sign.