Price hike for final tickets

Gaelic Games News round-up: The cost of developing Croke Park has led to a 20 per cent increase in the price of All-Ireland final tickets. Last Saturday's Central Council meeting approved the price hike for this and next year's finals. It means stand and terrace tickets will cost €60 and €30 respectively.

In a statement the GAA cited "the necessity for increased borrowings of €100 million as a result of the accelerated redevelopment works at Croke Park and the decision to proceed with works to Hill 16" as being among the reasons for the increases.

Also mentioned were the additional increased costs of the Amateur Status Committee recommendations, approved by Central Council last year. This includes subsidies to counties as a result of increased costs in team expenses, principally the increased mileage rate from 38 cent to 50 cent.

Other factors include games development projects, which will cost €4.7 million, and grounds grants of €5.2 million. The new Players Injury Scheme will cost about €7.3 million to fund and six per cent of all gate receipts will be levied in this context.

Meanwhile, Cumann Peile na mBan yesterday announced details of their first All-Stars tour, to New York. The All Stars will play against a Rest of Ireland selection at Gaelic Park grounds on Sunday, May 2nd as the curtain raiser to the New York-Mayo Connacht championship match.

The Ireland boys' under-18 International Rules will play the first of a three-Test series under lights on April 8th as a curtain-raiser to the Brisbane-Collingwood AFL Match at the Gabba Stadium in Brisbane. The second Test is on April 11th at the Telstra Dome, Melbourne, and the final test will take place at the Fremantle Oval, Perth, on April 15th.

IRELAND UNDER-18 INTERNATIONAL RULES PANEL: C Dillon (Clare), D Barrett (Meath), C Begley (Laois) F Breathnach (Galway), D Doyle (Kerry), D Egan (Tipperary), D Hoey (Roscommon), S Hogan (Galway), C Hughes (Kildare), P Kerrigan (Cork), B Moran (Mayo), B O'Brien (Monaghan), S O'Brien (Tipperary), S O'Donoghue (Cork), G O'Neill (Armagh), P O'Reilly (Cavan), S Prendergast (Waterford), B Quigley (Laois), P Reidy (Kerry), D Reilly (Dublin), K Reilly (Meath), C Rogers (Laois), C Vernon (Armagh), J Ward (Monaghan). Standby players: A Hanley (Mayo), F Roche (Sligo), C Ward (Meath). Manager: Hugh Kenny

WOMEN'S 2003 ALL-STARS: A O'Donoghue (Kerry), N Ó Sé (Mayo), H Lohan (Mayo), M Kavanagh (Dublin), A Crotty (Waterford), M Farrell (Dublin), E Flaherty (Galway), A McNally (Dublin), M O'Donnell (Waterford), L Cohill (Galway), C Heffernan (Mayo), M McGing (Mayo), M O'Rourke (Waterford), G O'Shea (Kerry), K O'Driscoll (Kerry).

REST OF IRELAND PANEL: D Horan (Mayo), S Farrelly (Dublin), R Stephens (Galway), J Murnane (Kerry), A Daly (Galway), J Greenan (Monaghan), M Beades (Roscommon), D Lee Fox (Donegal), L Hughes (Tyrone), M Nevin (Dublin), S Ramsbottom (Laois), K Lacey (Donegal), T Noone (Kildare) M Heffernan (Mayo), C Staunton (Mayo), M Kirwan (Laois).