BY CHRIS MCNULTY
DONEGAL GAA clubs have been given 1,000 extra tickets for Sunday’s Ulster SFC quarter-final against Tyrone in Ballybofey – after Tyrone’s allocation failed to sell out to members.
Despite Red Hand officials claiming in recent weeks that the 5,750 tickets allocated to them would not be sufficient, the O’Neill county has returned a batch of 1,000 of the prized tickets, all of which will be divided among Donegal’s 40 clubs.
The increased allocation will be music to the ears of some strained club officials in Donegal who have been dealing with unprecedented demand for a first round fixture. It also means that there will be a boosted Tir Chonaill support for a game that has been billed as the biggest first round game in Ulster in many years.
In the last couple of weeks, officials from Tyrone had bemoaned their allocation.
“We’re very disappointed with the allocation of tickets,” their PRO Eunan Lindsay had said.”We are left with one ticket for every two adult members in the county and that’s before we even look at youth.”
However, Tyrone members are now content to miss out on the Ballybofey blockbuster. “I know from my own club, people are reluctant to take children to a sold-out game on terrace tickets when the place will be full to capacity,” Mr Lindsay told the Donegal News.
“Roughly 25 per cent to a third of the attendance would usually be children and it seems that there are families now who aren’t really pushed about going.”
The returned tickets are all terrace tickets and will now be divided among the clubs, who are asked to submit their requests to the Co Board by email today and officials are hoping that they will be available for distribution this evening. Clubs are asked to have cheque for payment when collecting their tickets.
THE BREAKDOWN OF THE NEW ALLOCATION IS:
Aodh Ruadh 23
Ardara 35
Buncrana 36
Bundoran 17
Burt 23
Carndonagh 24
Cloughaneely 31
Convoy 18
Downings 18
Dungloe 41
Fanad Gaels 20
Four Masters 28
Glenfin 27
Glenswilly 30
Gaoth Dobhair 35
Kilcar 25
Killybegs 31
L’Kenny Gaels 24
Lifford 11
MacCumhaills 31
Malin 37
Milford 19
Moville 21
Muff 15
Na Rossa 22
Naomh Brid 16
Naomh Colmcille 11
Naomh Columba 38
Naomh Conaill 31
Naomh Mhuire 23
Naomh Ultan 16
Pettigo 6
Red Hughs 29
Robert Emmets 20
Setanta 4
St Eunan’s 61
St Michael’s 31
St Naul’s 31
Termon 21
Urris 20
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