BY CHRIS MCNULTY
DONEGAL has received just 16,088 tickets for the All-Ireland football final.
On Sunday-week, Donegal face Kerry in both the minor and senior finals, but despite the presence of both teams on the big day the county has received just 1,373 more tickets than in 2012 for the senior final against Mayo.
The process of distributing the tickets to the clubs is expected to get underway by the end of the week, with a number of clubs unhappy with their allocation.
Overall, the county board has expressed dissatisfaction at what it believes to be an inadequate number of tickets to meet its needs.
Clubs are, however, allocated 1.2 tickets per adult member. 13,518 tickets have been allocated to the clubs – 84 per cent of the total.
“We are all disappointed in the allocation we have received,” said County Chairman Sean Dunnion.
At Monday night’s meeting of the Donegal County Committee in Ballybofety, the Naomh Ultan delegate, Terence McGinley, said that the allocation from Croke Park ‘shows very little respect to people who want to support the minors’. However, Central Council delegate Niall Erskine said the allocation was the same as that given to Kerry and in line with the number given to competing counties in the hurling finals.
“We have made numerous enquiries and we are told that there will most certainly not be a second allocation,” warned the county secretary, Aodh Mairtín Ó Fearraigh.
“The only hope is if other counties return their allocation and I doubt if that is likely.”
The remaining 2,506 tickets will be divided among various strands of the association in Donegal: 1,141 to players, management, support teams, county board and referees; 512 between the main sponsors; 294 to elected representatives, former county players residing outside the county, media; and 64 to be given to members of the 1992 All-Ireland winning panel. Tickets will also be given to the members of the 2012 All-Ireland winning panel no longer on the county squad.
Mr Ó Fearraigh said: “It is very much in line with 2012, but we are under severe pressure with our contingency tickets. We have over 400 in 2012, but now we only have 200.”
6,033 of Donegal’s tickets are for Hill 16, while 107 have ‘restricted views’ in the Upper Davin and are priced at €40.
Of the 800 season ticket holders in Donegal, less than 400 have matched the 60 per cent attendance to qualify for an All-Ireland final ticket.
The after-match banquet for both the senior and minor teams will be held at the City West Hotel in Saggart. Tickets for the full banquet will be available at €80 with the after banquet tickets priced at €20. A total of 2,000 tickets will be available for the full banquet with a further 1,000 allocated for the after event.
DONEGAL’S CLUB ALLOCATION
Aodh Ruadh 233
Ardara 460
Buncrana 364
Bundoran 223
Burt 195
Carndonagh 295
Cloughaneely 450
Convoy 259
Downings 286
Dungloe 573
Fanad Gaels 339
Four Masters 412
Glenfin 405
Glenswilly 461
Gaoth Dobhair 464
Kilcar 330
Killybegs 477
Letterkenny Gaels 365
Malin 396
Milford 234
Moville 301
Na Rossa 327
Naomh Brid 244
Naomh Colmcille 119
Naomh Columba 551
Naomh Conaill 351
Naomh Muire 390
Naomh Padraig, Lifford 156
Naomh Padraig, Muff 232
Naomh Ultan 203
Pettigo 65
Red Hughs 322
Robert Emmets 225
Sean MacCumhaills 373
Setanta 64
St Eunan’s 844
St Michael’s 397
St Naul’s 436
Termon 343
Urris 354
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