Photo: Omaghstendas.com
The hunt is on. While any sense of giddiness at the novelty of being in an All-Ireland final has long gone from us, the ferocity of the ticket hunt is still – literally at this stage – a hardy annual. A million or so hopefuls into 82,500 won’t go so it’s dog-eat-dog out there.
Last year I did a few posts updating everyone on ticket draws so it makes sense to do the same again. In this post I’ll list the ones I’m aware of at this point in time but I’ll update it as I hear of other draws. If your own local club has a draw then please feel free either to drop me a line or post details of it in the comments and I’ll make sure to include it next time.
Ready? Right, here goes.
Mayo GAA have ten individual tickets in the next Mayo GAA Lotto draw, play by Friday to enter – details here;
Charlestown GAA club have a final preview event, 9th September, at which there’ll be a draw for two tickets – details here;
Owenmore Gaels GAA club have a draw for two tickets – details here;
St Patrick’s Lisbellaw Hurling club (Fermanagh) have a draw for two tickets – details here;
These are the only draws I’m aware of as yet. If last year is anything to go by, though, there’ll be loads more over the coming days so I’ll keep a note of them and post an update in due course.
By the way, tickets for the post-match banquet in CityWest are also on sale now. Full details on that are here.
Like many others I have no season ticket so ticket will be hard come by. But id love to know how on a needaticket they have ordinary non premium seats for sale? Enlighten me someone (prices from 500 _650)
office@needaticket..ie
Yep thats the one, davin €500, lower cussak and hogan €650 and upper hogan €575.
Makes my blood boil.
it is a rip off my advice is dont buy tickets on that website
it is a rip off
Its obvious its a rip off, that is hardly the point , I want to know how they get their hands on all ireland final tickets that dont have an open sale whatsoever.
I’m guessing and I could be wrong.. but let’s say Im a season ticket holder and I know on past experience I will get a Cussack Lower ticket. I’m hard up on cash and I go to a tout or this office@needaticket.ie and say how much will you give me for the ticket. Meanwhile your ticket will be in the post around the 6 or 7th Sept and then the exchange will be made. I’d say they have a fair big cut of the 650 for their troubles. It’s all wrong and by rights people should have to provide photographic I’D to prove they are who they say they are when getting into Croker. It would have to be prized from my own dead hand before I would ever give it up but sadly it seems everything has a price these days
Maybe so but I suspect its a lot more bogey than that. We are just too naive or purposely ignore shady goings on . Some draws are rigged too especially GAA clubs, if you dont know this again youve either never experienced a members draw or are just completely naive.
Mattock Rangers are having a draw for tickets: https://www.myclubfinances.com/tickets_m.asp?LL_ID=420&CLB=
They’ve helped me out for tickets in the past, no joy so far this year though 😉
Wednesday Sept 13th in Wardes in Salthill Larry Finertys place is having a race night and raffling all Ireland tickets there will be a few guests and you can buy a horse on the night all money raised to Cairde Mayo
Any tickets been drawn in Oxford arms we’d night?
I have never sat at the top table but I’ve been close enough to those that have and when comes to the dishing out of tickets aspect of the job.. well let’s just say it’s a pretty shit part of the job. If you are to have any chance of getting through it as a club delegate then you have to be straight up with your members. If the members have any indication that there’s something not right then I wouldn’t like to be in that room never mind at the top table. I’ve known where some have held back tickets on the QT for various reasons, some of which were ligit and some not, but at the end of the day there will never be enough tickets, people will be dissapointed and there will always be ill feelings. I’ve sat in that club room a few times now and my number has never come up but I’m always glad for those that it does. The variety of emotions is heart warming to see and let’s face it.. it’s a nice prize to win.
Hi wj
Draw for all Ireland tickets
Club Rossie 086 8399584 davy
Fiver a ticket or a book of five for €20
I think a lot of clubs ( but certainly not all clubs) have a system for distributing tickets that ensures those who put in the work for the club – officers, team mentors, workers and adult players – get a ticket first. Any club that doesn’t operate a fair and transparent system is foolish and looking for trouble.
The stupid thing is that clubs get far fewer tickets than they need to meet the needs of their members. It’s tough on club officers who have to refuse reasonable requests for a ticket.
As regards people who put their ticket up for sale on sites such as have been mentioned above ……..fcuk them is all I’ll say!
Surely the GAA just have to cancel them just like they did in recent weeks
Delighted to hear Rochford fire the first shots tonight with his comments that he wants an experienced ref who will make the right calls unlike last year when Maurice Deegan admitted he missed the hand trip on Andy Moran. Even more impressed that he said the Black Card on Lee Keegan was very hard to take after the media campaign against him in the week before the replay. This should have been said before the replay but better late than never. Good to hear as well that our 3 injury worries are due back to training with Donie and Boyler this weekend and DOC next week. Lets hope they all make it!
No plans to do so, Michael, but there’s another Cairde Mhaigh Eo London event before the final where I’m almost sure tickets will be raffled.
This thread comes up every year and you’ll no doubt see some muppet on Facebook posing with a few ticket stubs and a sad looking child proclaiming “it’s so unfair that I can’t get a ticket, I NEVER miss a game”. There genuinely is no excuse anymore for not getting a ticket for a final, it’s not like your supporting Wicklow and can say I didn’t see us getting this far.
Option A. Cairde Mhaigheo. It costs €200 and there is no quota for matches attended.
Option B. Season Ticket. Granted it’s currently sold out but there’s a waiting list.
Option C. Join a club. No excuse for this one unless your kangaroo farming in Yabayaba. If the club operates above board then coaches, stewards, players and lotto sellers etc will get a ticket as mentioned already.
Yes there will undoubtedly be some genuine cases but 99.99% of supporters have no excuse. Finally, if you still have no ticket then head for the pubs around Croker on match day, I’ve yet to see someone not get a ticket.
i feel sorry for genuine fans that cannot get a ticket every January I see kids and their parents up in Kiltoom or ballinlough or Ballina getting soaked at the FBD and wonder where are the other 55,000 people that were looking for ticketfor the final? They’ll be genuine fans who deserve to be at the final and will be disappointed that they can’t get tickets I was that soldier in 96 I got one at the last minute couldn’t get one in 97 or 04 even tho I had been to every match and almost all the league games managed to get one on 06 half an hour before the game started only to wish I’d never seen the inside of Croke Park or Kieran Donaghy’s big arse. The only anwser is the season ticket if you can afford it when they come on sale again
[Deleted].
Ah the search for tickets…. Luckily my family and I have season tickets so we are sorted.
My employer has 10 Premium Tickets, these are made available to clients from the counties in the final and reserved for known football fans but not always regular match attendees, it is what it it.
I got a call today from a client who “demanded” access to 2 tickets. I responded by saying that his county wasn’t in the final, they were knocked out by Galway in the qualifier (Donegal). I also said that tickets are for Mayo, Dublin, Kerry & Derry and clients from there.
His response, and I kid you all not, “I live close enough to Derry……”
Over the next few weeks the once in a year fans appear. It’s annoying but such is the norm for the final.
The problem is more Dubs will invariably get more tickets, this is the part where ALL the Mayo noise from us genuine fans HAS to drown them out and there whiny ” Come on you blah blah blah…”
The team have all stated during the season that our support had lifted them on and over the hill in so many matches. It’s our duty to roar and shout until we are hoarse. The team will need every inch we can give them.
Our voices will recover. Our team will win.
Sean – that was a clear case of playing the man rather than the ball.
Unfortunately not all of us don’t live at home, some of us are dotted all over the country ..I’m in the midlands and involved in coaching with the club my kids play for .they get a few tickets and raffle them off which is fair enough ..I always find it hard to get one but always seem to get one the Fri or Sat before the match .. Keep asking and praying
Cairde Maigh Eo tickets were sold out Liam, im on a waiting list 2 years at this stage for the GAA one. Not everyone lives in Mayo either. So dont know where your remark about joining a club is coming from. Any clubs outside the AI teams raffle their allocation as a source of fund raising.
First thing, easy said, but don’t panic if you don’t have a ticket just yet …. Nobody has a ticket yet… Season ticket holders will get a ticket alright and are well entitled to one….Club players and officer’s, some teachers, and don’t forget the politicians who won’t have to pay above the odds either, but they done precious little since this time last year in the Dail to ensure that the genuine fan would not be ripped off, … I am a season ticket holder and its a great deal, but it was an expensive year as well, going to all the championship games…. Yes it makes my blood boil… I know one or two, one man in particular who criticised Mayo all year and stayed at home, apart for one match in Croke Park, where he got a free corporate box ticket and a free lift… He will have one again… It’s always been the case…. And those that pay Outrageous sums or put tickets up for auction on certain sites…Not good for my blood pressure just thinking about it… Probably nothing illegal being done, but it should be made illegal… The GAA cancelled a number of tickets before the Dublin Tyrone match when they found that they were sold at highly inflated prices on various sites, so anyone buying one is definitely taking a huge risk…. I think only in Ireland and Belgium is it legal to sell tickets at above the listed price…. It’s a subject that is making the news alright… The Rio Olympics and associated ticket controversy is sure to keep the subject in the media, as well the upcoming All Ireland football final…. Maybe our politicians are happy with the way things are now? , and maybe I am in a very small minority?… But I doubt it… The season ticket is the way to go alright, A number of years ago the reason I decided to get a season ticket was, I seen it advertised in the All Ireland final programme, Mayo were in the minor final that particular year. And the amount that I had spent on telephone calls just to try and get a ticket, it was over €150.on calls just looking for a ticket alone,… I think that the GAA could easily sell another 2000 season tickets to the Mayo public, no bother and to Dublin… It would take the worry of getting a ticket away from that number of loyal fans in both counties which would be a big help…. I know it’s easy for me to say it, but it’s better not to worry, it’s also a complete waste of time looking for a ticket in some pubs that might have a reputation for being a GAA pub… You will find that you have to keep going back and your chances are far better elsewhere…. Luckily there are many people involved in the GAA, just by its nature, depending so much on voluntary work that are not of the predator mentality and if they are not using the tickets themselves, they will do all they can to ensure that the ticket finds the genuine fan, at the listed price…. That’s what anyways happened to me,.. But it was always the Saturday before I got sorted out… In the day’s before I had a season ticket and the one or two times that I managed to get my hands on on extra tickets., I made sure that a genuine Mayo fan got the extra tickets I had .. PS the 17th will be my 16th final, my first being the 1983 final between Galway and Dublin, the last year that you could arrive at the ground and by a ticket for the terrace… The Canal End on that particular day, the princely sum of £1.00 no kidding, I lied that I was under 12…No questions asked,
To the more rational and non offensive replies to those of us on the hunt, thanks. Absolutely no need for the aggressive tone by another .
Plenty, and I mean plenty of genuine fans miss out on tickets for the big day. Being involved with a club from the county playing doesn’t guarantee a ticket either. In 2004 I had a gaggle from Longford, yes Longford around me. There are plenty of the prawn sandwich brigade and casuals at All -Irelands.
Rochy threw a couple of grenades out there tonight when talking about the referee appointment. Saying the big calls went against us in the replay last year, referring to Deegan missing Small’s hand trip and the media treatment of Lee resulting in his black card.
Fair play to him.
Wide ball, I’d guess that means that Deggan misses this final.. Of course he’s right, Stephen Rochford …. He is stating the facts… Jim Gavin was deceitful in his comments about Dublin and the treatment of the referee post 2013 All Ireland final…..And for good reasons, he did not want anything other than favorable refereeing to apply to Dublin… Some noteworthy Ex Kerry players and current pundits have, correctly in my opinion lambasted the Referee about a few things last Saturday.. Definitely the sending off of Darren O Sullivan was wrong.. They are right to say it, it’s obviously a fact, the camera dosent lie… However they also failed to mention the amount of yellow card’s that exclusively Kerry player’s should have been handed out exclusively to Kerry as and before the ball was thrown in… Not that the cards were relevant to the result of the match.. It’s good to tell the truth… Incidentally, I only seen this particular incident a few hours ago, SKY have excellent video footage of the Darren O Sullivan incident…. Much better than RTE on this occasion which is not to say that I prefer Sky to RTE, just they have a great camera angle on this particular incident.. The second yellow given to Paddy Durcan was equally a very wrong decision,… The Ref always loses the plot when they try and even up things…… Bottom line for me is this,… Stephen Rochford has said, what he said, it happens to be a fact…. Let’s back him on his courageous decision….
Rochford dead right to say that. For far too long we’ve let ourselves be screwed by the media and refferee’s. Iv absolutely nothing against the Dublin players, all fine footballers and to be honest probably the best team to have played the game. Its Jim Gavin who does my nut in! His patronising smirky face would turn milk sour. In fairness, any half decent manager would get 3 or 4 AI’s outta that team…(especially with the free millions pumped into them). I would sell a kidney to win this AI, for our own obvious reasons first, then to watch Jim squirm infront of Cantwell. I live in hope.
Calling all Mayo supporters in Sydney. Wheres the best place to watch the big one ? This will be my 7th Mayo All Ireland in Aus (was at head quarters for 2006 final, less said the better.) Watched last 2 in the Criterion in town . Is there a better spot ? We’ve got this one in the bag. I can not see Leroy having 2 off days with the boot. As Keating said in 93 “This will be one for the true believers” . Up Mayo!!! Up Kilfian !!! and Hup ya bai ya !!!!
Any able bodied supporters from within the country who do get their hands on all ireland tickets, and if this is their 1st time to go and see Mayo this year, well I think yea should be giving these tickets to the people who have been following the Mayo team all over the country for the last 8 months.
Any Mayo supporter attending the all ireland and it’s their only game this year and if yea don’t have a legitimate excuse for not attending other games do the right thing and give those tickets to the people that thoroughly deserve them.
There are mothers and fathers who have been goin all year and bringing their kids as well to follow mayo. It’s heart breaking for any of these who dont get a ticket for the final.
If this is your 1st match and you don’t have a legitimate excuse for not attending others, then give that ticket to a real fanatic and make their dream come true.
Can I be bold enough to start a bit of match analysis:
What would peoples thoughts be on puttin a man marker on Ciaran Kilkenny? Seems to be the man that all ball flows through. While others would step up, maybe their experience wouldnt be as effective!
I know a person within my club who has not gone to any Mayo game this year to date. However, every week without fail he organises the club lotto which is the main fundraiser for the club and keeps the club afloat. While other Mayo supporters are gone to games on Sundays he is busy calling to the local pubs selling the lotto tickets for the club. He will get a ticket for the final from the club. I also know people in my parish who go to all the Mayo games but are not even members of our club, do not support the lotto and would not go any local club game. The club is the bedrock of the GAA. Without the club we wouldn’t have a county team. Why don’t these great Mayo supporters give time to their local club. I know its hard to get it right and everyone will not be satisfied. To me the club comes first.
Right this is a perfect example. Just outside Ballagh broke the news last night of what came out of last nights press conference i.e. Rochford on referee
We all know that the content which journalists obtain at these press nights has to fill pages for the next 2 1/2 weeks meaning that topic probably won’t go to print immediately.
We know this is not a page exclusive to Mayo people. There’s no point in crying now over spilt milk but Jesus lads and lassies can we be a bit cuter in the lead up to the final. Hold your whist, say nothin til ya hear more. Don’t be the know it all who has to be the first to break any little piece of news/rumour surrounding this team.
Wise men listen, fools talk
Those comments of Rochford were meant to be communicated, that’s why a press night took place. The comments on the black card are in todays Indo! I have no problem with what Just Outside Ballagh said as there is no rumour in it, the comments were fully intentional.
Ok guys, this happens every year! Don’t forget we’re #InThisTogether Every Mayo person on the planet would love to be there on the 17th to see us do a job on the Dubs and finally reach the top step! I am one of those people… I will try my hardest to get a ticket, but I would not begrudge any other supporter their ticket. No-one knows what goes on in other peoples lives, so who’s to say that a person couldn’t make a match all year because of some personal crisis and maybe getting to the final could be a huge lift for that person? We just all need to support the lads whatever way we can, the Mayo Lotto is a good place to start… but please stop bickering about who deserves tickets and who doesn’t. Life is life, sometimes it’s not fair! While I hope to be there, I would forfeit that right if it meant that they would reach the summit!! But you may be sure I’d be waiting on the bridge in Tarmonbarry to help them cross the Shannon with the rest of the faithful!
Just to confirm, our time has come, that Sixpointsup’s reading of the situation was right, i.e. that Stephen Rochford made those comments at the press night last night and they’re widely reported this morning so I don’t think that, on this occasion, any rules were broken. I’d agree with you, however, that comments like this should already be out in the public domain before they’re mentioned here. Loose lips sink ships and all that.
I know it’s not rumour sixpointsup and I’m just using this as an example of what lies ahead for the next couple of weeks. Can we not break news here? Wait until it’s printed in the media/official and then chat away about it to your hearts content. Like I said this page isn’t exclusive to Mayo people.
What would happen for example if jim gavin got wind of what was said last night via some Dublin people who look at the blog and got on the radio before anything went to print to “get in there first” regarding the referee. All for the sake of being the first to break the news on here. I’d rather not know to be honest until it went to print for the good of Mayo GAA.
Thanks willie joe
No, thank you, our time has come. Your previous comment there captures pretty much 100% my thinking on this issue and why I adopt a zero tolerance rule on posting rumours here on the site. In this instance what Rochy said was meant for public consumption but even then what you say re timing is spot on too.
As this talk of ticket touting. Mayo GAA county board are the best at it. Each club is afforded by the Mayo County Board to buy an extra 10 tickets on top of there allocation for an EXTRA €1,000. So the club has to pay €1,800 for 10 tickets. Some clubs pass this extra charge onto member/players charging €90 for every ticket. Is this touting?
I’ll be happy not to hear rumours of injuries, tactics either!
That’s a bit of a misrepresentation, As_It_is.
My understanding is that clubs are offered the chance to get extra tickets (20 – ten stand, ten terrace) and this allocation is over and above the normal club allocation. The deal is that they must raise €1,000 for the team training fund as well as paying the face value cost of the tickets.
This is a fundraising initiative and clubs are expected to use these tickets for fundraising purposes. Once they raise the €1,000 for the training fund (and the ticket costs), clubs are then quids in on the initiative. Raffles of this sort can easily raise €5k and more for clubs so it’s an important fundraising opportunity for them. From what I’m told, clubs aren’t allowed to levy individuals for any of the amount they pay to get this additional ticket allocation.
Whilst I feel sorry for people who do not get tickets I feel there is little to be said for fit younger people (<60) who do not join their local club and take part in club activities like training, maintenance, fund raising or playing the games. This is what the GAA is all about. The Croke Park thing is the crowning glory and possibly 'the money thing'. The GAA is about local rivalry – club. Croke Park is a magnificent fund-raising master. This money does get distributed down to clubs and counties. My own club has benefited enormously from this money in the way of grants, coaching, insurance and loans. Solely going to the matches does not entitle one to a final ticket. Colm Boyle and Lee Keegan and their likes have got to where they are by participating in their clubs right from a very young age where they got coaching, transport, gear, etc.. As well there is simply enjoyment in going to the matches in the first place. As someone who has in the past been partly responsible for distributing club tickets I feel sorry for those doing it now and I avoid talking about it because some day I am going to split someone talking rubbish saying why they should have got a ticket because they attended a few matches. Join a club.
I fully back Rochford’s call on those comments, as I’m sure we all remember the coverage after the first match last year was horrendously skewed against Lee (thankfully it’s also brought back the cartoon of Lee having Connolly in his back pocket!). As the manager of the team he was no doubt aware of the level of attention his comments would receive and it goes some way to contending with the number of Dublin pundits who will no doubt be weighing in over the coming weeks.
Can fully understand people having a bias for their county which I’m certainly guilty of too, but hopefully the tone of the discussions this time around is more positive.
Have Gaa season tickets payments been processed yet?
I agree with sean, a lot of shady stuff goes on with some tickets, and they cant be cancelled unless they know the number. Is it true that there is know quota for Cairde Mhaigheo season tickets, I thought the same rule applied as for normal season ticket holders.
As I am living outside the county I have always managed to get a ticket as I have made contacts due to my kids playing Gaa over the last few years.
Hoping it works out again this year
2winjustonce – Not yet….sometime next week I believe, could be Wednesday? Id make sure you all have valid card details…would be a disaster to miss out for that reason.
I do agree that people who have followed Mayo through out the year and gone to the matches, deserve more to be at the AI final than people who have not gone to the matches (and could have gone to them), but are now going to go just because it is the final.
Folks, season tickets were being processed this morning. If your’re only checking your card details now, you might be a bit late. My season ticket acc showing tickets since 10 this morning and att at 16/17.
Is it true that there is know quota for Cairde Mhaigheo season tickets, I thought the same rule applied as for normal season ticket holders.
Apologies – Mayo.Mick your right. I see payment was taken from my account today. No quota for Cairdre Maigh Eo members, that is correct.
Got section 307, the season ticket is your only man. Great to have the ticket in the bag!!!
jeff says:
August 31, 2017 at 9:52 pm
Surely the GAA just have to cancel them just like they did in recent weeks
……………………………..
Why dont they cancel all the tickets put into draws aswell while they’re at it. Tickets shouldn’t be allowed to be used as a revenue generating commodity. If a club gets them they should use them i.e. someone gets them at face value or they should be returned back to croke park
I don’t follow your logic there centerfield. Raffling All-Ireland tickets is a fantastic fundraising opportunity for clubs who often find it very difficult at the best of times to raise enough money to keep going. Why on earth would you want to deny them this chance to raise much-needed cash?
My hero, smirking Jim
I love this time of the year.
I cannot open a newspaper without seeing my old hero, the smirking Jim Gavin. Sometimes smirking Jim is photographed alone. I suppose he’s asked to smirk for the camera. Sometimes he’s photographed with his “we’ll buy the Sam Maguire at any cost AIG robots”.
Smirking Jim has smirked his way to many Leinster and all ireland titles. He is noted as a manager of untold ability. No matter how the match is going, whether his “we’ll buy the Sam Maguire at any cost AIG robots” are winning the easy way or the hard way, you’ll always find my hero sitting on the bench with a big smirk on his face.
At this time of year, smirking Jim trains his “we’ll win the Sam Maguire at any cost AIG robots” very hard. 4 nights a week he plugs a big industrial size cable in to their asses for 2 hours until they are fully charged.
It’s not widely known, but before smirking Jim became a football manager, he was a noted recording artist. He will always be remembered for his classic hit
“smirk, and the whole world smirks with you”
By the way, good luck to Stephen Rochford who is embarking on his own musical journey in the coming weeks with the release of his first record.
“I’m goin to wipe that smirk right off your face”
Willie Joe i’ll give you a hypothetical scenario.
Club in non competing county have a draw for 2 all ireland tickets.
individual randomly selected wins draw has no interest in going to match.
Sells ticket on to highest bidder.
Ticket bought by tout then resold for an even higher price to person in competing county who actually wants to go to match.
I just think things need to be tightened up around this by the GAA.
The only loser in this is the fan in the competing county thats struggling to get a ticket
Williamstown Gaa draw
Two Tickets for All Ireland
Fiver a line
Draw 9 Sept
Most shops and pubs selling them
Breaffy Gaa Rounders club selling lines to win 2 tickets seated together. Details on their facebook page. The Rounders Club is a small Club so support is greatly appreciated.
Thanks Yew tree,
Willie Joe,
You are making my point for me. The GAA foundation is Local volunteers (Club fuels County!). If Mayo didn’t reach an All Ireland Final Clubs would survive financially. The All Ireland tickets that are Allocated to Clubs should be a way of repaying Coaches, Players and committee members for their hard work and dedication throughout the year/s and not be put in a draw where a person who doesn’t even know where their local GAA club is. If someone in the club is drawn out then people judge the draw to be rigged! These draws usually lead to genuine GAA local people that are involved in clubs not getting a ticket. ALL FOR MONEY! that’s why the GAA has such a bad name. If Mayo are in an All Ireland surely the Financial bodies in the County Board can find better avenues of raising money other than charging each Club €1,000 for tickets. Tickets that the clubs and members deserve at face value for the VALUE they add to the GAA.
I doubt very much that I am, As_It_is!
In an ideal world, money wouldn’t be an issue for clubs (or for the county) but it is on an ongoing basis. For many clubs it’s a huge struggle to keep going so windfalls from raffles of All-Ireland tickets, if you’re so lucky to have your county in a final, aren’t something that can be passed up. Likewise, do you think the €1m that Mayo GAA spends on its teams and other running costs simply falls into its lap from the sky? It’d be a great world if it did.
It’s worth repeating the point that the tickets in question comprise an additional allocation to clubs, i.e. over and above the standard allocation every club gets. Clubs can choose to take up the additional allocation but the deal is that they need to contribute €1,000 to the training fund (a fund that has to come from somewhere as The Good Lord isn’t going to provide it) if they opt to do so. Whatever they do after that with the ADDITIONAL tickets is up to them but obviously it makes sense for clubs to take the opportunity to fundraise.
By the way, clubs don’t have to raffle all the additional tickets they get. If they get an extra allocation of 20 tickets they could easily raffle five of them and then allocate the rest (at face value) to club members who deserve them. They’d still come out ahead financially if they did this.
I also disagree 100% with your assertion that the GAA “has such a bad name”. The GAA is probably the one organisation this country can still be hugely proud of, it’s utterly unique in the modern world and long may it continue to prosper. There’ll always be those who’ll whine and moan about the GAA but I’ll bet you they’re people who’d never get up off their holes to become involved locally in it.
I agree with ‘as-it-is’ that tickets should not be used in raffles or draws. I am heavily involved with my club and fully understand the financial context both at club and county level. The Additional Allocation to clubs is an artificial construct and instead of helping It is viewed in our club as exploitative. We would have no problem contributing heavily to the training fund and running a few fundraisers on a voluntary basis. Most importantly it can leave a sour taste and does very little for us from a PR perspective because, as a result of reserving tickets for a raffle, we have to refuse some people on our list of applicants who deserve a ticket. And this is talking from experience.
I totally agree with WJ that the GAA is an organisation that is well thought of and does not have a bad name.
Willie Joe,
I am a season Ticket holder that attends all Mayo Games, Club player and underage coach. I am only trying to address the FACT that every club in Mayo will be raffling tickets, and most clubs in the country outside of Mayo and Dublin that receive their 2 tickets are now starting to raffle this allocation as well. How many tickets are been put in raffles. Mayo Lotto fund 10 tickets with each lotto draw. I am a GAA person but if you can not see how its becoming all about money you need to get off your hole. The fact that an amateur team that’s not getting paid is costing a million euro a year worries me to be honest. It must be worrying more volunteers like me as well. Will be their to support our great team in the final but the bigger picture coming down the road fast is the GAA is now getting out of control financially.
I don’t disagree hugely with that, As_It_is, except maybe to point out that I’m oftentimes off my hole, both in support of my local club up here at juvenile level and the county too.
By the way, it’s not just the senior team that the money Mayo GAA spends goes to support – we’ve a load of teams, in football and hurling, that have to be supported. Sure, the amount of money involved is worrying but if we don’t punch our weight there then my fear is that we’ll simply fade away, like so many counties who have largely given up have already done.
Being in the final year after year is a serious commitment at every level, including financial, but I’d sooner we’re in there every year and not thinking wistfully back to the days when we used to be up there with the best trying to win it. If raffling a few tickets is part of the price for this, I’m all up for it.