There are concerns about the size of the crowd ahead of Sunday’s Leinster final clash between Dublin and Meath at Croke Park. Attendance on Sunday will be much lower than the 2014 Leinster final.
Reports of the estimates about the actual turnout by both sets of fans have been conflicting. It will certainly be less than the attendance the last time the two sides met in a Leinster Final five years ago. The crowd that day exceeded 62,000.
Apathy towards Dublin's dominance has been widely touted as a general reason for lower ticket sales. There is an air of inevitability about proceedings given Jim Gavin's men are bidding to become a 14th Dublin side in 15 years to lift the Delaney Cup.
Rivalry
Whether Croke Park will be half full or not is a matter for conjecture, even for the Leinster GAA. The turnout for the Laois-Dublin final last year was just 41,728. Meath in opposition to a dominant Dubs should drive more interest, given the traditional rivalry. Although that famed competitiveness is tinged with sepia.
The Irish Daily Star reported Leinster GAA spokesperson John Haughney expecting a large turnout in “the high forties or up towards 50,000”.
The Irish Independent reported a more circumspect turnout after speaking to Leinster chairman, Jim Bolger.
"We'd hope 40 to 45,000, all going well," the Leinster chairman is quoted as saying.
While over 20,000 tickets had been pre-sold by yesterday, Bolger admitted the final attendance was still hard to call.
"It's just gone unpredictable now. You don't know what Dublin turnout you will get," admitted Bolger.
Familiar
Meath have not won a Leinster crown since 2010, when they knocked Dublin out along the way.
The Metropolitans and the Royals have produced some brilliant battles over the years, most notably the four game series of 1991.
One thing that will not be the same as yesteryear on Sunday is the crowd size.
