Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) season tickets give fans access to games across Ireland during the season. With tickets to multiple games across different codes like hurling, football, and camogie, season tickets can seem like an attractive option for hardcore fans. However, with a hefty upfront cost and no guarantee of seats at the most in-demand matches, are GAA season tickets really worth it?
What do GAA season tickets offer?
GAA season tickets provide access to games across Ireland in the league and championship. Season ticket holders can attend games in the:
- Allianz Football Leagues
- Allianz Hurling Leagues
- Provincial football championships
- Provincial hurling championships
- Christy Ring Cup
- Nickey Rackard Cup
- Lory Meagher Cup
- All-Ireland camogie championships
The tickets allow entry to pre-season and early round matches in the above competitions. However, they do not guarantee entry to the most in-demand knockout games or finals.
Season ticket holders can attend games involving any county team across Ireland. So a ticket holder based in Dublin could use their pass to attend a league game in Kerry or a championship match in Galway.
How much do GAA season tickets cost?
For the 2023 GAA season, an adult season ticket costs €140. There are discounted rates for juveniles (under 16) at €50 and students at €100.
Season tickets go on pre-sale for a limited period allowing existing ticket holders to renew their pass. The tickets then go on general sale on a first-come-first-served basis until they sell out.
What are the pros of a GAA season ticket?
There are several benefits to purchasing a GAA season ticket:
- Value: Attending multiple games can add up quickly. A season ticket works out cheaper than buying individual match tickets.
- Flexibility: Fans can attend games across Ireland so there is a lot of choice week-to-week.
- Guaranteed access: Season tickets provide certainty of entry as long as tickets are booked ahead of time.
- Exclusive access: Some matches like pre-season tournaments are exclusive to season ticket holders.
A GAA season ticket offers great value and flexibility for fans wanting to attend multiple games across codes and counties. The tickets guarantee entry as long as the matches booked are not major finals attracting ticket queues.
What are the cons of a GAA season ticket?
However, there are also some drawbacks to consider:
- Upfront cost: The €140 fee is a big once-off cost for fans to consider.
- No guarantees: The tickets do not guarantee access to the biggest games which require separate purchasing or queueing for tickets.
- Wasted if unused: Fans have to attend enough games to justify the cost and make it worthwhile.
- Competition for places: There is stiff competition with other ticket holders for places at certain games.
- Booking required: Fans must pre-book tickets for matches they want to attend and pick up paper tickets from designated locations.
The season tickets do not provide automatic access to the headline matches in each competition. Fans could end up paying €140 but still miss out on the games they most want to attend.
How many matches can you realistically attend?
To assess if a GAA season ticket offers value, we need to estimate how many matches the average fan can reasonably expect to attend.
Let’s make some assumptions for games attended based on a sample GAA fixture list:
- 5 league games
- 3 provincial football championship games
- 2 provincial hurling championship games
- 1 camogie championship game
- 2 lower level hurling cup matches (Ring/Rackard/Meagher Cups)
That’s a total of 13 games over the GAA season using the season ticket.
Breakdown of estimated games attended with season ticket:
| Competition | Estimated Games Attended |
|---|---|
| Allianz Football League | 5 |
| Allianz Hurling League | 2 |
| Provincial Football Championship | 3 |
| Provincial Hurling Championship | 2 |
| All-Ireland Camogie Championship | 1 |
| Lower Level Hurling Cups | 2 |
| Total Games | 13 |
Based on a reasonable fixture schedule, a fan could expect to attend around 13 games in a season using the pass. This estimate excludes any knockout provincial or All-Ireland games which require separate tickets.
Financial Analysis
Let’s do some analysis to see if a season ticket offers financial value to fans.
Cost Per Game Analysis
* Season ticket costs: €140
* Estimated games attended: 13
* Cost per game = Total Cost / Games
Therefore:
* Cost per game with season ticket = €140 / 13 games = €10.77 per game
Comparison With Match Day Ticket Costs
To determine value, we need to compare the cost per game to normal match day ticket prices:
| Competition | Normal Match Ticket Price |
|---|---|
| Allianz Football League | €15 |
| Allianz Hurling League | €15 |
| Provincial Football Championship | €25 – €35 |
| Provincial Hurling Championship | €25 – €35 |
| All-Ireland Camogie Championship | €15 |
| Lower Level Hurling Cups | €10 |
Comparing normal match day ticket prices, the season ticket price per game of €10.77 offers a discount in most cases.
The only exception might be for Provincial championship games where normal prices can range from €25-35 depending on the match. However, gaining guaranteed access to these games via the season ticket is beneficial.
Estimated Normal Purchase Costs
If we estimate the costs for a fan purchasing 13 games individually, it would be:
* 5 x Allianz Football League games @ €15 per ticket = €75
* 2 x Allianz Hurling League games @ €15 per ticket = €30
* 3 x Provincial Football Championship games @ average €30 per ticket = €90
* 2 x Provincial Hurling Championship games @ average €30 per ticket = €60
* 1 x Camogie Championship game @ €15 per ticket = €15
* 2 x Lower Level Hurling Cup games @ €10 per ticket = €20
Total Estimated Normal Purchase Price = €290
Compared to the season ticket price of €140, the season ticket offers a saving of €150 or 52% versus buying all the games individually.
Conclusion
Based on this analysis, a GAA season ticket offers very good value for money when you consider:
- The season ticket delivers a cost per game of €10.77 compared to normal match prices of €15-35
- It provides a saving of 52% compared to buying all the games individually
- It guarantees entry to games once booked unlike normal purchase
- It allows you to conveniently attend 13 games across Ireland
The main drawback is not having guaranteed access to the biggest knockout games. However, the season ticket still delivers significant savings and excellent access to games for a hardcore GAA fan.
Final Verdict
For a true GAA fan who will attend multiple league and championship matches, the season ticket offers great financial value and flexible access to games. It can deliver significant savings compared to individually purchased tickets.
If you only attend 4-5 games, it may not be worth it. But for fans wanting to attend 10+ matches across Ireland, the GAA season ticket is extremely good value for money.