The upcoming Dublin versus Mayo football match in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship has generated huge interest amongst Gaelic football fans across the country. As the two most successful teams of the last decade, Dublin and Mayo have developed an intense rivalry on the pitch. With Dublin going for a record-equaling seventh consecutive All-Ireland title and Mayo looking to finally break their curse, this match is set to be an absolute classic.
As expected, tickets for the game have been in extremely high demand. Croke Park stadium has a capacity of around 82,000 spectators. But with fans of both counties desperate to attend and limited tickets available, are they already sold out?
When is the match and where is it being played?
The Dublin versus Mayo match is taking place on Sunday, July 17th 2022 at 4pm. The game will be held at Croke Park stadium in Dublin, which has been the traditional venue for All-Ireland football semi-finals and finals for many years.
With a capacity for 82,300 spectators, it is Ireland’s largest and most iconic sports stadium. Croke Park is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and host stadium for the senior inter-county Gaelic football and hurling championships.
How can I get tickets?
There are a few ways to get tickets for the match:
– Directly through your county board – Each county receives an allocation of tickets for distribution to clubs and season ticket holders. County boards usually open registration in advance for fans wishing to purchase tickets this way.
– Through GAA clubs – Affiliated GAA clubs receive allocations of tickets from their county boards. Club members can purchase tickets through their local club.
– Ticketmaster – A portion of tickets are sold via Ticketmaster online and through authorized retailers around Ireland. These are more expensive but often the easiest way for fans to access tickets.
– Secondary ticket websites – Tickets purchased from touts or resale websites, often at inflated prices. This is risky as tickets may be invalid or fake.
– On match day – A limited number of tickets are usually held back for purchase on the day of the game at Croke Park stadium. Fans queue up early in hopes of still getting tickets.
When did tickets go on sale?
The GAA released its ticketing arrangements and on-sale dates back in April 2022, several months in advance of the match. This gave fans plenty of notice to prepare for purchasing tickets.
Key on-sale dates were:
– April 1st – Clubs and season ticket holders could register interest for tickets through their county board. This helped boards estimate demand.
– May 16th – Counties began distributing tickets to clubs for purchase by members. Dublin and Mayo fans rushed to secure tickets this way first.
– June 15th – Remaining tickets went on general sale via Ticketmaster. These sold out rapidly due to huge public interest.
– July 10th – A very limited number of additional tickets released on Ticketmaster but quickly sold out again.
– July 17th – Any returns or unsold tickets will be available to purchase on match day at Croke Park stadium. Usually only a few hundred make it to this stage.
What is the attendance capacity for the match?
Croke Park stadium has a total capacity of 82,300 for Gaelic football and hurling championship matches. The stadium is virtually always sold out for All-Ireland semi-finals and finals.
The capacity will be divided up approximately as follows for Dublin versus Mayo:
– 30,000 tickets to Dublin GAA county board
– 25,000 tickets to Mayo GAA county board
– 24,000 tickets for general sale via Ticketmaster
– 3,300 tickets held for match day sales at the stadium
This ensures an evenly split allocation for fans of each county, with one quarter of tickets still available for neutral supporters to purchase.
Are tickets already sold out?
Yes, it appears all tickets for the Dublin versus Mayo match are now completely sold out based on information from the GAA and Ticketmaster.
The timeline below shows when different allocations officially sold out:
– Mid-May – County allocations to Dublin and Mayo clubs fully sold. Huge member interest.
– June 20th – All 24,000 tickets on general sale via Ticketmaster were sold out. Release was met with massive public demand.
– July 10th – The small batch of extra tickets released on Ticketmaster quickly sold out again.
– July 15th – Dublin and Mayo county boards announced their member allocations were 100% sold out.
– July 16th – Croke Park stadium confirmed no tickets remain for match day sales.
So as of July 16th, 2022, there are absolutely no tickets left available for the game through any official channel. Capacity attendance is expected.
How quickly did tickets sell out?
Most ticket allocations sold out rapidly due to the huge demand:
– County allocations to clubs were snapped up very quickly in May, most within 1-2 weeks.
– The 24,000 Ticketmaster tickets for general sale took just over 3 hours to completely sell out when released in June.
– The small extra batch in July lasted less than 5 minutes before selling out.
– Anymatch day sales will likely sell out within minutes of going on sale at the stadium.
This shows the massive interest in the game from fans of both counties who were prepared to buy tickets promptly. It also indicates the limited number of tickets available compared to demand.
What is the black market like for tickets?
With no tickets left from official sources, attention has turned to unauthorized secondary websites and touts where tickets are being advertised at hugely inflated prices.
Some examples of black market prices:
– Tickets with a face value of €90 are being sold for between €250-€400+
– Juvenile tickets (u-16) with a value of €30 are priced at €100-€200
The chart below compares official ticket prices to black market listing prices:
Ticket Type | Face Value | Black Market Range |
---|---|---|
Adult Stand | €90 | €250-€400 |
Juvenile Stand | €30 | €100-€200 |
Adult Terrace | €45 | €120-€180 |
Gardai and the GAA have warned fans not to purchase from unauthorized sellers as tickets may be fraudulent or duplicated. But with demand so high, many desperate fans are willing to take the risk.
How does this compare to previous Dublin vs Mayo matches?
The last time Dublin and Mayo faced off in an All-Ireland semi-final was 2019. That match also completely sold-out:
– County allocations sold out rapidly within weeks.
– The Ticketmaster batch of 24,000 tickets sold out in just over 1 hour.
– Very limited match day tickets were available and quickly snapped up on the day.
So a similar pattern of hugely high demand and fast sell-outs. The GAA might consider increasing capacity for such blockbuster matches in future years.
The last final between the counties was in 2016, when tickets sold out even faster:
– County tickets sold out within days of release.
– Ticketmaster tickets were gone within 30 minutes.
– It was one of the fastest ticket sell-outs in GAA history.
Again it showed the enormous public interest and intense Dublin v Mayo rivalry. With both teams still dominating, we can expect future match-ups to have similar ticketing demands.
How does demand compare to other big GAA matches this year?
Below are ticket sale timelines for some other major 2022 championship matches to compare with Dublin v Mayo:
Match | Stage | County Tickets Sold Out | Ticketmaster Sold Out |
---|---|---|---|
Dublin v Mayo | Semi-final | Mid May | June 20th |
Kerry v Galway | Semi-final | Early June | June 29th |
Derry v Clare | Quarter-final | Mid June | July 1st |
Armagh v Galway | Quarter-final | Early July | July 8th |
This shows that only the other semi-final between Kerry and Galway came close to the demand for Dublin versus Mayo tickets. No other match sold out at county level as quickly.
While other games did eventually sell-out, none matched the rapid Ticketmaster sales of the semi-finals. This highlights again how the Dublin v Mayo clash is in a league of its own for fan interest and ticket demand.
Will any more tickets be released?
It is highly unlikely that the GAA will release any further batches of tickets for the match at this late stage.
County boards have stated their allocations are all sold out. Ticketmaster shows the game as completely sold out. And Croke Park has confirmed no tickets remain for match day sales.
There is the possibility that a handful of tickets could become available if they are returned from county boards or sponsors. But these would be extremely limited, likely no more than a few hundred tickets.
In summary, fans should not get their hopes up for any major last-minute ticket releases. The match is effectively at full capacity.
What are the options for fans without tickets?
For those supporters who missed out on official tickets, there are still some options to see the match:
– Watch the game live on TV. RTÉ will broadcast the match free-to-air across Ireland.
– Listen on radio. Local radio stations around Ireland will have live commentary of the game.
– Watch in pubs. Many pubs will show the match, however, capacity limits may apply.
– Public screening events. Some counties organize big screen events to allow fans to watch together.
– Travel to Dublin. While sold out, there is always some chance of spare tickets floating around on match day. Being in the location gives fans a chance to scour for spares.
– Avoid ticket scalping. Buying from touts is risky and could result in invalid or fraudulent tickets.
While not ideal, taking advantage of these options will allow fans to still experience the game if they were unable to buy official tickets in time. The huge national interest ensures it will be widely accessible through various channels.
Conclusion
Based on all available information, it is clear that tickets for the upcoming Dublin versus Mayo All-Ireland football semi-final are completely sold out through official channels.
Both county and Ticketmaster allocations sold out rapidly in advance of the game due to massive fan demand. No further tickets are expected to be released at this late stage with capacity attendance confirmed.
Fans without tickets still have options to watch or listen to the match via TV, radio, pubs or screenings. However, the limited availability of match tickets, even months in advance, shows the difficulty in securing attendance for such a high-interest game between these great rivals.
Their recent footballing domination has only intensified the fervent following of both counties. We can expect future Dublin versus Mayo clashes to continue attracting ticket demands on this massive scale as their intense rivalry enthralles fans all over Ireland.