By Sean Murphy
DONEGAL fans have blasted the “shocking prices” of supporting the county in Kerry with some accusing hotels of making “Las Vegas look reasonable”.
Hundreds of fans are expected to descend on Killarney for Donegal’s upcoming All-Ireland clash, despite soaring prices that have been branded “absolute extortion” by fans.
The GAA fixture was scheduled when the All-Ireland senior football championship Round 1 draw was made on Bank Holiday Monday.
It is a repeat of last year’s disappointing All-Ireland Final – and Donegal fans will be hoping for a better result when the counties clash in Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney later this month.
The tie will be played on the weekend of May 23-24 in Killarney, where Donegal recorded a historic victory over Kerry in February last year for the first time since 1988.
It was a statement win for Jim McGuinness’s side in Division 1 of the National Football League.
Fans say excitement is already building – but so too is fans’ frustration amid accusations of rip-off prices in Killarney.
Many supporters took to social media to vent their disappointment at the prices. One fan wrote: “Killarney hotels are making Las Vegas look reasonable.”
Some claimed there are “shocking prices” and warned Killarney hotels that Donegal fans will shun their accommodation due to the rip-off accusations.
A fan said online: “I don’t envisage Killarney hotels making much from Donegal folk staying overnight.
“The yanks might pay those prices but I doubt many of us will. Absolute extortion.”
Another claimed: “It is pure gouging. Just a complete rip-off staying there.”
Some fans are opting to stay in Limerick or Roscommon.
One said: “Saw that [about prices] and decided on a very reasonably priced 4 star en route in Limerick instead.”
Another wrote: “Might overnight in Roscommon.”
While one more suggested a GAA AirBnB website: “I can’t understand how there [isn’t one]. GAA folk should make their houses available to genuine fans. It would save people a fortune.”
The draw was made on Bank Holiday Monday May 4 and scheduled the Kerry vs Donegal match for the weekend of May 2324.
Just 24 hours after the draw, a one-night stay in a classic king double room at a five-star hotel in Killarney was listed on a popular booking website [Booking.com] at €730, including breakfast, for May 23.
The price for one night soared to €1,055 to stay in the hotel’s Signature Suite.
On May 5, a well-known three-star hotel in Killarney was offering rates of €149 a night for May 17, but the following weekend, when scores of Donegal families are visiting, prices were up to €309 – which is 107% dearer from one week to the next.
Earlier this week, some hotels’ prices had not been changed.
A four-star, also in Killarney, was charging the same €281 price for a twin room on both Saturday May 16 and Saturday May 23.
Some fans are happy to stay in hotels, with the four-star Great Southern Hotel already sold out for Saturday May 23.
One night there in a Superior King Room costs €454 on May 16 or €628 on May 30 for a Deluxe King Room with a garden view.
It is less than a year since Donegal fans accused hotels in Dublin of price-gouging.
When Donegal and Kerry met in the All Ireland Football Final last June, Donegal TD Pearse Doherty accused Dublin hotels of “absolutely scandalous” price hikes.
He said: “They are being charged €450 or €500 for a room for one night, when it is a fraction of that on other weekends.”