GAA NEWS:THE LEINSTER Council have announced unlimited family tickets for all their upcoming championship matches as a way of maintaining attendance figures during the current economic climate – although they have decided against any price reduction.

With their provincial football championship getting under way this Sunday, Leinster Council chief executive Michael Delaney is confident that will be enough to maintain attendance figures along the lines of recent years, not that there are any warning signs of a significant fall-off to begin with.

“We discussed ticket prices from the very outset of this year’s championship,” explained Delaney. “What we decided to do was keep them at the same level as last year, but to make a lot more family tickets available.

“In other years we would only have had a couple of thousand family tickets available, but this year that number is effectively unlimited. We have also increased the number of group passes, where under-16s get in at cut-price, and for every group of 10, one adult is admitted free. They’re aimed primarily at clubs and schools but the overall idea is to make the championship match a family event as much as possible.”

Like last year, standard ticket prices will increase as the championship progresses. Sunday’s opener between Carlow and Louth – a stand-alone fixture – sees stand tickets priced at €20. Double-bill matches, including the Dublin-Meath football tie and Dublin-Antrim hurling tie in Croke Park on June 7th, sees stand tickets priced at €25. Leinster semi-final stand tickets are priced at €30 and Leinster final stand tickets are priced at €35.

Family tickets are based on one adult and two children, and vary in price from the €15/€3 for this Sunday’s opening game, to the €25/€5 for the Croke Park double-bill on June 7th. Usual student, senior citizen and terrace prices still apply.

Leinster has traditionally benefited from the best attendances of any provincial championship, particularly because of the presence of the Dublin footballers. Delaney sees no reason why that should change this year.

“I think at this stage any talk of a fall-off in attendances is only speculation,” he said. “Certainly, from the number of calls we’ve taken inquiring about tickets for the Dublin-Meath game, it would appear interest is as high as it’s ever been. And when you get to the Leinster semi-final stage you would always expect there to be big demand as well.

“So we wouldn’t be too worried, not from an attendance point of view. It may be that if one of the smaller populated counties starts progressing then you might see a fall off, simply because those counties wouldn’t be as well supported. But the likes of Dublin and Meath will always bring out big crowds. There is a big buzz around Kildare as well this year and they’re also one of the traditionally better supported counties.”

If anything, Delaney is predicting an upswing in attendance figures for the Leinster hurling championship, and not just because of the introduction for this first time this year of Galway and Antrim. “We had our championship launch last Friday,” he added. “Galway and Antrim were both down for it and I haven’t felt the same sort of buzz about the Leinster hurling championship in a long time. And it’s not just because of Galway and Antrim.

“I think there is a real sense now Dublin can start delivering on their promise in hurling. And of course Wexford and Kilkenny have such big hurling populations that they will always bring out a good crowd.”

Last week the Munster Council announced similar plans for an increase in the number of family tickets being made available for their championship matches, while also introducing other incentive schemes, such as a 10 per cent reduction at participating Killarney business outlets on production of a match ticket from Fitzgerald Stadium.

Meanwhile, the GAA have confirmed Masita Ireland have been granted an official kit licence, which will allow the company to produce playing attire for clubs, schools and colleges. A family run business based in Kells, Co Meath, the company employs 11 full-time personnel to service the licence.