GAA report record online sales for SFC quarter-finals as 60,000 tickets already sold

There was a paltry crowd of 16,425 at GAA HQ last Saturday for an All-Ireland SFC Qualifier double-header, but that has already been blown out of the water with 60,000 tickets sold online for the last eight clashes on June 25/26.

Ulster champions Derry meet Clare in the curtain-raiser (3.45) on Saturday week before Leinster kingpins Dublin take on Cork (6.0) while the next day sees the clash of Connacht winners Galway and Armagh (1.45) followed by the juicy clash of Kerry and Mayo (4.0).

GAA director of communications Alan Milton revealed that “tickets were flying” with fans flocking online in their thousands to follow the last eight standing in the race for Sam Maguire.

“It broke records on Tuesday morning, they sold 50,000 tickets in two hours, from 12 to 2, which is the greatest amount that they have ever sold online, 35,000 were sold at four o’clock for the Sunday and 24,000 for the Saturday,” he said.

Those figures exclude season ticket holders, corporate boxes and county allocations so sizeable crowds are expected with punters making the trip to the capital despite increased costs around travel and accommodation.

It is understood that this weekend’s All-Ireland SHC quarter-final double-header in Thurles – Cork versus Galway followed by the meeting of Clare and Wexford – will not be a sell-out with 35,000 expected in Semple Stadium.

Meanwhile, this Sunday’s Tailteann Cup semi-final double-header in Croke Park is not expected to exceed the 8,000 mark with ticket sales slow for the clashes of Sligo and Cavan and Westmeath versus Offaly.