This has been a known known for a while but a piece by Mike Finnerty in today’s Irish Examiner (here) provides a further reminder that tickets for the Connacht Championship opening round fixture in New York are going to be in short supply.
The once-in-every-five-years Gaelic Park fixture has long been a favoured trip for Mayo GAA fans but this year the numbers planning on going appear to be bigger than ever. This fact, combined with development work that’s currently taking place at the venue which will eat into the already small 4,000 capacity, can mean only one thing: ticket trouble. And it does.
It’s worth reproducing in full what Connacht Council Secretary John Prenty said to Mike in that piece linked above on the issue of tickets:
This game is completely under control of New York GAA in terms of the ticketing, the entry, the exit and the capacity. We have been liaising with New York GAA over the last number of months.
And I think it’s fair to say that it’s going to be a challenge for New York GAA to get all the people in… The plan is that New York will sell a certain number of tickets in advance, but when that will happen and how many tickets will be sold, remains to be seen.
So there you have it. Everyone who travels over isn’t guaranteed to get in and there’s nothing the Connacht Council nor Mayo GAA can do to help with sourcing tickets for the game. If, however, you have good contacts within New York GAA now’s obviously the time to be getting in touch about those tickets which may be made available in advance.
With only 7 weeks to go NY GAA should be really making some sort of announcement on ticket numbers and what the procedure is, I.e first come first serve in the day or if tickets can be bought before hand etc?
Plenty other grounds around NY. Why can’t game be moved to accommodate the fans …
I believe Mayo GAA Foundation have secured 500-1000 tickets directly from New York GAA independent of the county board and intend to try and allocate as many as possible to all the fans flying over. I suggest you contact them directly
Margaret – I’ve been singing that song for quite a number of posts. It’s too late now, I reckon, but this was a missed opportunity by the County Board, who should have arranged a bigger stadium well in advance and then push an open door to entice those (even) more Mayo fans to cross the water. Might even have gone myself.
What other venue in NY could have held the game? I know there are plenty of stadiums but are dimensions large eougj for a Gaelic Football game?
Pardon the pun but this is all a bit Irish of the NY County Board. Three years back the London County Board had notices on their social media platforms about the arrangements for the game and tickets on sale several months in advance of the Mayo match, there’s no reason why NY couldn’t have done the same, especially given the distance a lot of Mayo fans will travel.
I wouldn’t think it’s a good idea to say first come first served at this point,i think it would be dangerous if 7-8k turned up and had to scramble for 3k tickets. Doesn’t sound like Prenty has too much confidence in them after reading that!
Well at least if its first come first serve, then people can put some sort of plan in place.i.e get there real real early. Saying that, I hope NY Gaa have a shed load of marshalls/security on duty to try and gather for it, correction, I hope the NYPD are there, coz it could get hairy.
I’ve already bought and paid for 3 hotel rooms for me and my family/sig others. It’s only a 2 1/2 hour drive for me so I really feel for all of you traveling so far with no assurance of getting in. I expect to meet some of you as we wait all night in line. At least my family will get to enjoy a nice bed at the hotel while I grow roots outside Gaelic Park. Better not rain!
Whatever about tickets in New York? Just a reminder to y’all, for any of ye interested in going to the Club All Ireland Final’s in Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day, your season tickets are valid for this fixture as well!.
‘Mayo GAA Foundation’ is all for the people with big big money. Won’t be any cost price tickets going there.
Ger – that is a typical response from someone who does not understand what the foundation represents. It is trying to unite mayo fans all over the world to be able to compete with the likes of Dublin, Kerry etc who are frankly pulling away….
If the foundation is for all the people with the big money, why are they hosting an event on Saturday night in Rory Dolans New York at $50 a ticket where proceed go to mayo New York GAA and mayo Roscommon hospices….
500-1000 tickets for the Mayo Gaa Foundation? Capacity 2000?
Ger, just to echo MayomaninNewYork – that’s a comment borne out of a lack of understanding. Perfect for social media, perhaps, but not for here. Please try to inform yourself on issues before posting cynical slap-downs of this kind.
Does any one know is the Colmans/Gerards colleges final that is been played in McHale park this evening available for viewing on line streaming on internet. Thanks. Should be interesting game.
From a ticket point of view the build up to the New York game must be causing quite a bit of stress for genuine and “hard core” supporters. Im aware of a few personal acquaintances who love to regail listeners of their adventures while travelling to support Mayo in London and in The Bronx. Fair play to them and good luck to them. But the same supporters, while they are a minority, wouldn’t dream of attending a Mayo game in Mayo or indeed in Connacht. They can, however, be tempted and convinced to attend All Ireland Finals. Then again, it’s a free market. You pay your money and you retake your choice.
“Yankee Stadium or Nowhere” (it worked for Kildare).
Mayo man in New York – What numbers are New York GAA expecting to show up on the day ?
A bit of an unfair comment there source of the robe I have travelled to every mayo game in London and New York but won’t be travelling this year. However I also have been going to every type of Mayo game for years be it junior games in Tubbercurry on wet Wednesday evenings or minor league games on a Saturday mornings in Carrick on Shannon and it is the genuine supporters you will see at them games that were the very same people I met in New York and London. Now there is plenty of bandwagon supporters for All Irelands but not is not the fault of genuine real mayo fans who save for and plan there holidays around these trips. The fault actually lies with the people within clubs that love the bit of power and being the great men supplying these fair weather fans with tickets for the All Irelands !!
Congrats to the Mayo lads who won the Freshers All lreland with NUIG against DCU with a score line 2-13 to 1-15. Match report on the42.ie. Evan o Brien Ballinrobe Gavin Durcan Castlebar lined out in midfield scored a point a piece Liam Burke Ballinrobe LHF and The new Tommy Goals Tommy Conroy The Neale LCF scored 2-1 Brian McGuinness Claremirris was sub goalie.
Should also be a good Game today in McHale Park St Gerald’s and St Colman’s in the Connacht Schools Final can only be good for our U20 side
Daniel Flynn Kildare at New York panel practice. They are also looking to recruit Cathal Crompton Roscommon who is also spending the year in New York.
Blonde, I wasn’t referring to you as I’m not familiar with your movements in regard to attending Mayo football matches. I was and am referring to flesh and blood people on the ground with whom I’m on first name terms.
Thanks for clearing that up for me source of the robe i’m sure as you as so familiar with them you have taken them to task for attending these all irelands when they do not attend any games in mayo or connaght.
Yew Tree, well said. There is no other venue in NY, with greater capacity, capable of accomodating a football pitch. Cavan and Kerry played a league match at the old Downing Stadium, in 1997, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Polo Grounds final but the dimensions of Downing’s replacement, Icahn Stadium, do not allow for a repeat.
I’m glad I’m skipping this one – I don’t need the stress! Although NYC is terrific and anyone going for the first time will have a blast.
Can we blame the county board that they didn’t move this one to Giants Stadium? MetLife, as it’s known now. Boooo the county board!
A GAA match cannot be played on an American football pitch or a soccer pitch for that matter, the dimensions are far too small. It would be like playing a senior match on a juvenile pitch, I would also imagine hiring an 85000 capacity stadium like the MetLife would be astronomical.
Well Done st colmans
Beautiful picture of manhaten willie joe.worked and played for newyork,some big names played for them over the years i wasnt one.
Great place, Great times,Great people.
Great result indeed for Colmans. Two Mayo schools featuring in the Connacht Colleges A Football Final is hopefully an indication of promise on our conveyor belt.
Mayo team v Kerry [hope I can remember it correctly]
Clarke; Barrett, Harrison, Higgins; Coen, Plunkett, Vaughan; AOS, Ruane; McDonagh, Loftus, DOC; McLoughlin, Doherty, Jas Durcan.
So a reasonable sprinkling of the younger brigade. A very big outing for Loftus, I think. Also for James Durcan who needs a big game. I would have liked to see Reape included.
Congrats to Colman’s. It’s a change from my college days when Jarlath’s ruled the roost. Am I right in thinking that Mayo provided three of the semifinalists this year? Rice College and Jarlath’s being the losing SFs?
Congrats to Colman’s on a fantastic win. A good game played in the right spirit. Fans of each school behind the goals added to the atmosphere but it was a disgrace that thugs at the bacon factory end aimed and fired a firework at the Colman’s supporters in the field after the final whistle. Hope the person hit was not injured.