Extra trains will help hurling, golf enthusiasts flock to Cork

Iarnrod Eireann will run five special trains, two from Limerick, two from Tipperary and one from Dublin for tomorrow's Munster…

Iarnrod Eireann will run five special trains, two from Limerick, two from Tipperary and one from Dublin for tomorrow's Munster final clash between Tipperary and Limerick.

Special trains from Cork will take thousands of other sports fans directly to Fota Island for the final day of the Murphys Irish Open.

At estimated 2,500 people will be carried by the special trains for the Munster final, but according to Mr Andrew Roche, of Iarnrod Eireann, demand is so great for tickets that double that number again would be carried if the rolling stock was available.

Mr Roche warned, however, that travellers from Cork to Dublin on the 7.05 p.m. service tomorrow will only be allowed to board the train if they have a control ticket along with the standard Iarnrod Eireann travel pass. This is to avoid hurling fans causing overcrowding on the scheduled Cork to Dublin service. Control tickets will be available at train stations or at Iarnrod Eireann travel centres.

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"We want to emphasise to travellers on Sunday that if they are returning to Dublin from Cork, they should use the earlier scheduled services which will not require control tickets but that the 7.05 p.m. service will require one, otherwise passengers will not be allowed to board the train.

Mr Roche said more than 30 shuttle trains would leave Cork for Fota Island today and tomorrow and the frequency of trains would be increased if necessary. Last Thursday, for the Pro-Am competition, about 1,000 people used the shuttle service.

"The open is a unique event for us in that this is the first occasion on which such a major tournament can avail of a train station literally at the golf course. The main-line services are feeding in very efficiently to the shuttle service from Cork to Fota and we don't anticipate any major clash between golf enthusiasts and fans coming out of the Munster final, who are not likely to be at Kent Station in Cork before 6.30 p.m. tomorrow.

"The important thing is for people to be aware of the arrangements and to abide by them," Mr Roche said.