The football and music fans of Ulster are due to descend on Dublin this weekend for the dual attractions of the All-Ireland senior football semi-final in Croke Park on Sunday and the relocated Lisdoonvarna Festival in the RDS today.
The match, between Donegal and All-Ireland champions Armagh, is set to attract crowds in excess of 75,000, making the the biggest single match of the season.
Only the double header of Laois against Armagh and Tyrone against Fermanagh on the August bank holiday weekend got bigger crowds this year, pipping this Sunday's expected attendance with 76,195 spectators.
"It has surpassed all expectations," Croke Park spokesman Mr Feargal McGill said.
"There seems to be enormous interest in Tyrone this year, they haven't been in a semi-final since 1992 and Armagh are the champions so there's always going to be a huge crowd wherever they go." Sunday's game is set to have the biggest attendance of any semi-final not involving Dublin, Mr McGill said. However, the Dublin team is probably responsible for a portion of ticket sales with its minor semi-final match against Cork running before the senior game.
Sales for the Lisdoonvarna festival took off in the North when it made the move from the Co Clare venue to the RDS, Mr Peter Aiken of Aiken promotions said.
"We're getting a much bigger crowd from the North than we would have got if it had been held in Clare.
"Dublin is nearer for them and I suppose a lot of people will make a weekend of it with the match on Sunday."
Originally planned to take place on June 28th in Lisdoonvarna, plans for the concert, headlined by Christy Moore and The Frames, were foiled by Clare County Council who refused to grant it a licence following political pressure and grumblings from the local branch of the IFA.
Mr Aiken admits he is disappointed that the venue cannot be matched to the concert name. "We put a year's work into getting ready for the concert in Lisdoonvarna. I had got experts on transport, car-parking, all the infrastructure, but the powers that be didn't want it in Clare.
"I am disappointed because I was led to believe it would get the go ahead, it was only a concert after all."
Financially Mr Aiken estimates he lost less than €50,000 through the change of venue. Around 1,000 customers returned tickets, but he says, 25,000 concert goers are expected at the show today, the same number the Clare concert hoped to attract.
Unfortunately some of the scheduled performers were unable to make the new date, most notably Suzanne Vega and Bonnie Prince Billy, however Moore, The Frames, Mundy, David Kitt and a line-up of other Irish acts are still on the bill.
Motorists are advised to expect delays on Nassau Street, Mount Street, Northumberland Road and Merrion Road today. Tomorrow the N1, N2 and N3 will be packed with match goers and parking restrictions will apply around Croke Park.
