A Dublin Councillor says capacity at Merrion Square isn't big enough for the All-Ireland homecoming and wants it changed.
Fifteen thousand tickets went on sale this morning for the event on Sunday and are now sold out. It will be headlined by Keywest with a family fun day taking place.
The Dublin senior men's team made history at Croke Park on September 14th, when they won five Sam Maguires in a row - the first team ever to achieve the feat.
He has written to the Lord Mayor of Dublin Paul McAuliffe to see if he will reconsider the venue to cater for more fans.
Christy Burke says over 100,000 people would turn up to cheer on the men who completed the Drive-for-Five and the ladies who won three-in-a-row.
"An open-air bus, down through town and into College Green, a platform with the Dubs on it and Sam Maguire. A bit of music and everybody feels part of the historical party. So, I'm calling on the Lord Mayor to review Merrion Square."
TG4 Ladies Senior All-Ireland Football Championship Final, Croke Park, Dublin 16/9/2018Dublin vs Cork
Dublin’s Lyndsey Davey celebrates with the trophy
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Tommy Dickson
Dublin Homecoming
As a genuine Dublin fan I want to make sure as many people as possible get to attend the Homecoming. I have been speaking to Dublin City Council events this morning and they have come back to me on some of the suggestions which have been made. #homecoming
— Paul McAuliffe (@PaulMcauliffe) September 23, 2019
The Independent representative wasn't too warm on the idea of the 82,500 capacity Croke Park being used as the venue as he feels there would still be people left disappointed. Instead, he has suggested shutting down large parts of the city centre.
"I'm sure, because of the historical event of five-in-a-row, which has never been done - apart from in hurling," said Councillor Burke. "To do that, people wouldn't mind being inconvenienced. It's going to be a great day and a great thing to be apart of.
"It's not going to work for all fans and families. We really have to cater for fans and families who from January to September support the Dubs through thick and thin, and in all types of weather. Really, and truly this evening is an opportunity for the Lord Mayor of Dublin to consider reviewing Merrion Square as the venue for the homecoming."
In a statement, Dublin City Council has said, "
"The Homecoming event for the victorious Dublin Gaelic Football teams has been so widely anticipated by Dublin Fans that Dublin City Council's full allocation of free tickets for the Homecoming event were taken up within an hour of going live this morning at 7 am on Eventbrite.
All remaining tickets have been allocated to the Dublin County Board and the Dublin Ladies Gaelic Football Association. Information on how to apply for the remaining tickets will be sent out later today by Dublin GAA clubs.
Dublin City Council & both County Boards strongly urge fans to contact their local club to get tickets for The Homecoming.
The event was moved from its traditional location in Smithfield as Merrion Square has over twice the audience capacity of Smithfield and a decision was taken to ticket the event on health and safety advice."
