High cost of trip to Croker for All-Ireland semi final sidelining Limerick fans

LIMERICK hurling fans travelling to the All Ireland semi-final in Dublin will find it cheaper to holiday abroad to watch the match, than stay in a hotel in the capital.

It is not known yet who John Kiely's men will be facing at Croke Park on Sunday, July 3 with tickets set to go on sale in the next two weeks.

Tickets for a semi-final usually start at €40 for the terrace and €60 for the stand, meaning tickets for a family of four would cost €240.

Trains departing Limerick and arriving in Dublin before 3pm on semi-final day have already sold out as well as return seats leaving Heuston Station after 7pm.

Dublin Coach still have plenty of tickets available for their Limerick to Dublin service reasonably priced at €20 return.

The night before the match, 88% of the properties available in Dublin are booked out with the cheapest option for two adults costing €225 for one night in a hotel located 14 kilometres outside the city centre.

High cost of staying in the ‘Big Smoke’ is hitting Limerick pockets

Meanwhile, the cheapest option for a family is a hotel room with four single beds which is currently priced at €632 for one night.

If fans decide to stay in Dublin Sunday night, prices are much cheaper as a hotel room for two people comes in at €118 while a family of four can expect to pay €250.

If Dublin prices are too much for fans, they can find cheaper alternatives to enjoy the match and make a mini break out of it.

A family of four can fly from Shannon to London Stansted for €124 and stay in the city for two nights for €472, coming to a grand total of €596, which works out cheaper than staying for one night in Dublin.

Flights to Manchester for four people from Shannon come in at €148, and three nights in a hotel there is priced at €266, making it nearly €200 cheaper to stay there for the weekend and watch the match in an Irish bar than stay in Dublin for one night.

Last month, Munster Rugby subsidised buses for fans travelling to the Aviva from Limerick for the Champions Cup quarter-final clash against Toulouse, however, Limerick GAA have confirmed to us that they will not be subsidising transport options for fans travelling up to the match.