As tickets go on sale for train and bus services for the All-Ireland football semi-final and the Slane concert at the weekend, passengers are warned to book in advance as demand is expected to exceed supply.
Tickets for the special trains to Dublin's Connolly Station for the All-Ireland football semi-final between Kerry and Tyrone on Sunday will go on sale at 8 a.m. this morning at all Intercity stations in Kerry. There will be two specials from Kerry with about 1,100 seats and GAA fans will be limited to two tickets each. An Iarnród Éireann spokesman said intending passengers were advised that demand for seats on certain trains from Kerry and Cork on Friday, Saturday and Sunday was expected to exceed demand.
Any intending passengers for scheduled trains for the three days would have to have a control card as well as their rail ticket. Cards and tickets would be issued on a first come first served basis through local Intercity stations. For Tyrone fans, Translink, the Northern Ireland train service, have put on two special trains from Belfast Central, at 9 25 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. on Sunday, stopping at Lurgan, Portadown, Newry and Connolly station. Return services will depart from Connolly Station at 6.05 p.m. and 6.50 p.m.
Tickets will go on sale at the Northern stations from 9 a.m. tomorrow.
Tickets will also be available from Dungannon Bus Depot tomorrow only. Ulsterbus will be operating a shuttle bus for fans travelling to the game connecting passengers from Dungannon to Portadown.
On Saturday, Bus Éireann will be operating special coach services to Slane for the concert with headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers. The coaches will leave Mountjoy Square regularly from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and return to the city immediately after the concert.
A spokesman for Bus Éireann said yesterday that tickets were still available but they were advising passengers to book early as heavy demand was expected "Passengers must get the tickets in advance as we expect to be sold out definitely by Friday. We will close the bookings at 5 p.m. on Friday or before that if the tickets sell out," he said.
Tickets were on sale at the Busáras ticket office and also at the Bus Éireann ticket desks at Dublin Tourism Centre, Suffolk Street, and Dublin Bus office Upper O'Connell Street and online.
There will be no traffic allowed through Slane. Part of the N2 will be closed the night before the concert, with diversions from Kilmoone Cross.