The Camogie Association needs to see a significant spike on recent All-Ireland final attendances if they are to hit their 25,000 target for this Sunday’s triple-header.
Back in July, new Camogie Association chief executive Sinéad McNulty revealed the organisation was targeting a record-breaking All-Ireland final crowd of 25,000.
No standalone All-Ireland camogie final has previously attracted a crowd of 25,000 or more, with the largest ever attendance at the game’s biggest day arriving in 2004 when 24,567 watched Tipperary beat Cork.
Crowds of 33,000 and 26,000 were recorded at the 2007 and 2009 finals, but those figures were boosted by having the All-Ireland U21 hurling final on the same card.
There has been a decent uptake of tickets this week - the €25 price tag for adult admission compares most favourably to the recent hurling and football deciders - but for the stated aim of Camogie bosses to be achieved, a 16% increase on last year’s final attendance of 21,467 is required.
Such a jump would be inconsistent with the incremental improvement in All-Ireland camogie final attendances of recent years - 20,037 watched Kilkenny’s final victory in 2016, while 20,438 was the crowd at the 2017 decider, again contested by Kilkenny and Cork.
Last year’s attendance was the second-largest at a camogie final but is still noticeably short of the record-breaking ladies football final crowds of 46,286 and 50,141 in 2017 and 2018.
Galway and Kilkenny last met in the camogie decider in 2013, Galway winning a low-scoring affair watched by just over 15,000 people. The Tribeswomen have not been back up the steps of the Hogan Stand in the intervening six years. Galway, as they are this Sunday, was also involved in the intermediate final back in 2013.
Four members of that All-Ireland intermediate winning team - Tara Kenny, Shauna Healy, Cáitriona Cormican, and Aoife Donoghue - will start for the seniors this weekend.
Adult tickets bought before Sunday cost €25, while tickets purchased on the day will be €30. Students and senior citizens purchase full-price tickets and get a rebate of €10 with a valid ID on entry. U16s go for €5.