Football fever catches – but don’t sweat on tickets just yet!

Galway GAA supporters have been urged not to panic as the scramble for All-Ireland final tickets moves into full swing.

Demand for tickets soared after local legend Pádraic Joyce guided Galway to a first senior football final in 21 years with a comprehensive semi-final win over Derry last Saturday.

The rush to get hands on tickets for the decider against Kerry at Croke Park intensified this week, but Chairman of Galway GAA, Paul Bellew moved to allay fears that ‘true’ supporters would be left disappointed. He said that anyone who deserves a ticket tends to get one – although they may have to sweat right up until the day itself.

And as attention turns to the final on Sunday week, July 24, the earliest it’s ever been held, Galway supporters face hefty hotel prices for scarce accommodation in the capital.

Analysis of hotel prices on accommodation portal Booking.com showed average prices of about €370 based on a room-only basis, with two people sharing for one night on Saturday, July 23, the eve of the All-Ireland.

The average price more than doubled when two children were added to the booking. Higher-end hotels are charging more. There wasn’t much availability on Airbnb, either, with prices for two people sharing ranging from €165 for one room in a shared house, to €540 for a three-bed house on Saturday night.

Kerry won the other semi-final in a thriller against Dublin last Sunday, which has added to demand for accommodation, pushing prices higher.

Mr Bellew conceded sourcing reasonably priced accommodation was “challenging” for supporters.

The capacity of Croke Park is 82,300. Galway GAA was allocated circa 17,000 tickets, including 11,000 stand and 6,000 terrace tickets.

Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play. And don’t miss next week’s free supplement, with all of the stories on Galway’s quest for All-Ireland glory.