Hurling fans driving to Dublin for the Kilkenny V Tipperary All Ireland final this weekend are being warned to allow plenty of time for their journeys with delays expected due to roadworks and layout changes on the motorways.
The northbound carriageway of the M9 - one of the main arteries between Kilkenny and the capital - has been reduced to a single lane just before it merges into the M7 at junction 11.
“Motorists may experience delays at this location and should make allowances when planning their journey,” a garda spokeswoman said.
Delays are also to be expected for motorists travelling northbound on the M7 itself, which reaches into Co Tipperary and is a key route for drivers making their way from both Kilkenny and Tipperary towards Dublin.
Gardaí say traffic merging from the M9 into the M7 at junction 11 could cause hold-ups.
Furthermore, they are advising Kilkenny and Tipperary fans to be cautious about recent changes in the motorway layout which will affect return journeys after the Croke Park decider on Sunday.
The left lane approaching junction 11, as the M9 diverges from the M7, leads straight onto the M9 southbound carriageway, so motorists continuing on the M7 past this junction should stay in the two outside lanes, gardaí say.
Reduced speed limits are also in force where works are in progress.
Meanwhile, single tickets for the final are being sought at prices of up to €160 online.
One poster on the trading website DoneDeal is offering €300 for a pair “for me and my dad anywhere in the ground”, adding that he will travel to pay for and collect them.
The GAA came in for some criticism during the week for hiking the price of stand tickets for the final by €10 to €90. Typical families travelling for the match face spending several hundred euro for the day out.
But GAA president John Horan said prices had not increased since 2011, the last time they went up by €10.