Calls made for extra flights between Cork and Dublin airport for All-Ireland final
82,500 fans will descend upon Croke Park for this weekend's All-Ireland hurling final, with most of them coming from Munster.
A local TD has called on Ryanair and Aer Lingus to "play their part in getting rebels to Croke Park" for this Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final between Cork and Clare.
82,500 fans will descend upon Croke Park for this weekend's All-Ireland hurling final, with most of them coming from Munster. With huge demand for public transportation to the capital, Irish Rail is running seven extra intercity trains for Cork fans and four extra services for Clare.
Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould believes this isn't enough and has called on Dublin Airport, Ryanair and Aer Lingus to put on extra flights between Cork and Dublin to help get Cork fans to the All-Ireland final.
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He told Newstalk: "We need to get the tens of thousands of Cork fans up to Dublin; we need to get them up there and we need to do it safely.
“There are no extra services from Bus Éireann which is not good enough so, at this moment, we have no trains, no buses or flights. I’ve even contacted the daa asking them if they would support Ryanair or Aer Lingus putting on flights.
“I’ve also written to Eamon Ryan, the Transport Minister, last week to ask him about opening up the toll at Portlaoise.”
Barry Kenny of Irish Rail told Dublin Live that Irish Rail are working to operate another extra Cork service on Sunday. "We have seven extra Intercity trains operating for Cork supporters (three each way between Cork and Heuston, as well as an extra Mallow to Heuston) and four for Clare supporters (two each way Ennis to Heuston)," he said.
"This is in addition to scheduled services to/from both counties. All these trains are sold out. We are still working to see if we can operate another extra service from / to Cork, and will confirm one way or another before the weekend."
A spokesman for daa told Dublin Live: "Any consideration to operate a charter flight between Cork and Dublin this weekend is a commercial decision for the airline(s) involved.
"Cork Airport is always ready to facilitate ad hoc charter flights, but it may prove unrealistic for the airlines given they are well into the peak of the very busy summer season with a full deployment of their aircraft on scheduled services.
"Cork Airport wishes the team and the thousands of fans travelling by all modes of transport the very best in their efforts to bring the Liam MacCarthy home to Leeside this weekend."
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