Leinster fans depart for Edinburgh

Another year, another annual pilgrimage of Irish rugby fans to a Heineken Cup final, but blue is this season's colour of choice as Leinster fans pack up their hopes and head for Edinburgh.

More used to bitter end-of-season postmortems at this time of year, Leinster supporters are instead checking their ferry and airline timetables as they prepare to see their team take on Leicester Tigers in the Scottish capital following the epic victory over Munster in Croke Park.

Dublin airport is busier today and tomorrow morning as Aer Lingus and Ryanair flights leave for Edinburgh and Glasgow, and heavier-than-normal traffic is expected on ferry routes from the North to Scotland as rugby followers take the car-and-ferry-option.

Aer Lingus is running six additional flights from Dublin to Edinburgh over the weekend - one today and two on Saturday, with 1,272 extra seats, and the airline's daily flight to Glasgow today and tomorrow is fully booked.

Ryanair is operating seven flights to Edinburgh and three flights to Glasgow-Prestwick between today and tomorrow, including two "Cup Specials" flights, and according to the carrier, flights to Aberdeen, Newcastle, Teeside, Liverpool and Manchester have also been heavily booked by supporters.

According to a spokeswoman for Dublin airport, 16 chartered flights are leaving for Scotland today, with another 20 charters tomorrow. She strongly advised all passengers, including those booking online, to arrive an hour to 90 mins ahead of departure due to queues at the security check-in during the busy morning period.

P&O have put extra capacity on their Larne-Cairnryan route this weekend, and the company will is also catering for supporters on its Larne-Troon sailings tomorrow morning.

Stena Line is carrying fans on its Belfast-Stranraer route as the Leinster bandwagon gathers pace. According to a spokesman, at least 4,000 passengers will travel that route with the between last Thursday and tomorrow.

Several hundred have booked on the 3.20am sailing, tomorrow with only two car spaces left, and some 1,400 have booked on the 7.25 sailing, with only one car space. These were "exceptional passenger numbers" in excess of a bank holiday weekend, the spokesman said.

A spokesman has advised those travelling to the game that the Belfast terminal is now located at West Bank Road since last year and that those going north should take the M2 and exit at J1 Fortwilliam. The new address will not appear on GPS systems.

At least 4,000 passengers are expected to travel with the company from Belfast to Larne between Thursday and Saturday, and the company advised there would particularly busy due to the UK bank holiday and Celtic fans also making the trip.

As all Stena Line sailings from Belfast are fully booked today, passengers have been advised to check in early and leave plenty of time to get to the port as AA Roadwatch reports there roadworks on approach roads.

For those watching the game in Kielys of Donnybrook, bookie Paddy Power has promised to buy all Leinster fans there a free pint of Heineken if Leinster win the game.

The major event at home this weekend is in Galway, which is preparing to host the Volvo Ocean race, which arrives this weekend. Large numbers of visitors are expected to visit the city over the next three weekends, with a in-port race being held next week and the re-start the following week.

Boats will be welcomed into Galway Bay with bonfires, drumming and pyrotechnics, and the weekend kicking off the festival will feature, among other activities, windsurfing and kitesurfing displays, food and crafts displays in the race village, and performances from artists such as Frankie Gavin, Kila, and the Galway Tenors.

Elsewhere , the sporting theme continues in Westmeath, where the Athlone Institute of Technology will host the first weekend of the HSE Community Games 2009 National Finals. More than 6,500 young people from all over Ireland will compete in the games at the venue, which is substituting for Mosney.

The events this year take place from May 22nd to May 24th, and from August 14th to 16th and August 21st and 23rd. The Community Games organisation has more than 20,000 volunteers nationally, and 500,000 children participate at community and county level.

In Dublin, Africa Day @ Iveagh Gardens will be staged on Sunday. One of the flagship Africa Day celebrations being organised by Irish Aid in 2009, the event at the gardens off Clonmel Street is free to enter and will feature street-performers, food-sellers, dancers and hair-braiders, in addition to literary readings and traditional African dancing.