There are four counties competing at Croke Park this weekend - something it's easy to forget amid the discussion about another Mayo attempt to end their famine and Dublin trying to become the first team to win three-in-a-row since Mick O'Dwyer's Kerry in the late 80s.
Derry take on Kerry in the All-Ireland minor final just over two hours before the senior final. On the Derry side will be the nephew of Derry All-Ireland winner Kieran McKeever, now chairman of the St. Canice's club in Dungiven.
Speaking to Cahir O'Kane for the Irish News, McKeever voiced his severe annoyance with his club's and Derry's ticket allocation for Sunday.
Between St. Canice's and the local hurling club, supporters from Dungiven have just 55 tickets. McKeever said that's not enough for a community which plays football, ladies football, hurling and camogie.
McKeever has expressed his annoyance not just to the Irish News. He also wrote to GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail looking for answers as to why more Derry supporters cannot attend Croke Park on Sunday.
We’re the grassroots and the GAA doesn’t exist without us. For Derry to get 2,045 tickets out of 82,300, it doesn’t make sense.
I wanted a reply to the letter or an explanation as to how that figure came about, so I can explain to my members why, and if, the GAA has moved towards capitalism and forgotten about the ideals of what the association is about.
It’s just over 2 per cent of the overall allocation for the day. If we’re getting 2,000 tickets and Kerry are getting 2,000 tickets, that still leaves over 79,000 tickets.
McKeever suggests that an allocation of 5,000 would be reasonable, though still not sufficient to meet the demand of his county.
