Thousands of fans travel in hope of rugby Grand Slam

IRISH RUGBY fans are today taking to the air and sea as they travel to Cardiff more in expectation than hope that Ireland can tomorrow secure a first Grand Slam since 1948.

Eoin Fogarty from Dublin is undeterred by not having a ticket. He is planning to travel to Cardiff with friends in a minivan and campervan, and then use a campsite “half a mile” from the Millennium Stadium.

“Touch wood, I’ll get a ticket. I looked at the going market rate, which was about €400 to €500, and I wouldn’t pay that. We’re going over for the craic and atmosphere anyway, ticket or not.”

Also travelling without a ticket is a Welshman Mike O’Brien, now living in Fermoy, Co Cork. Mr O’Brien, originally from Cardiff, said that of his group of six, two had sourced tickets in Cardiff. “If I can’t get a ticket, I’ll probably go to the Celtfest music event that’s on in the city.” Asked whether he had divided loyalties, Mr O’Brien admitted he’d be “pretty happy” if Ireland ended their Grand Slam drought. “If Wales had a chance of a Grand Slam, it would be different. I had high hopes for Wales this year, but it’s been slightly disappointing.”

Airlines and ferry companies have reported busy bookings in the run-up to the game. Nigel Tilson of Stena Line said the company’s ferries to Wales were booked “chock-a-block” with rugby fans. The company’s sailing at 9am today from Rosslare to Fishguard is full, as is a 9.15pm sailing later today and a 9am sailing tomorrow. Stena expects to carry at least 7,000 rugby fans.

A spokeswoman for Irish Ferries said passenger numbers were “very substantially up” in the run-up to the weekend, with traffic running at four to five times normal levels.

At Dublin airport, 14 flights will be taking off to Cardiff today and tomorrow, carrying 1,500 people. Aer Lingus is operating a number of one-off flights on Friday and Saturday morning at 10.30am and from Cardiff on Saturday (10.20pm) and Sunday (12.45pm and 23.25pm). The airline said there were still some seats available on today’s flight and the late flight on Sunday evening.

At Shannon airport, which has no regular flights to Cardiff, bookings were heavy for flights to UK cities such as Bristol, Birmingham, and Manchester.

Ryanair will operate an extra flight from Shannon to Bristol that leaves at 7.15pm tonight and departs from Cardiff on Sunday at 3.05pm. The carrier said all its other Bristol flights were fully booked. Two extra Aer Arann flights will operate from Cork, while at Belfast International Airport, BMI Baby has laid on five extra flights to Cardiff.