For a contemporary Limerick definition of misery, one had to look no further than Thomond Park yesterday where thousands of Munster fans, queuing since early morning in cold, damp weather, failed to get a ticket for Sunday's Heineken Cup quarter final against Biarritz.
Those who suffered the longest quickly forgot their purgatory as they emerged from the ticket office with tickets but, according to one other fan, it was easier to get into Heaven.
First in the queue was Mr Brendan Madigan from Ardagh, who had arrived the evening before at 10.30 p.m. He had a kip in his car and began queuing shortly after 1 a.m. Runners-up were Mr Tony Power and Mr
Paddy Brennan, both from the city, who had joined the queue at 1.30 a.m.
"It did not feel long," said Mr Brennan. "There was great craic and slagging among all the guys. Fellows brought along tea, coffee, sandwiches. One guy brought a settee. Everybody was in great form."
But with 1,200 tickets on offer for a stadium which fits 13,300 people, and each person allowed to buy two tickets, disappointed fans outnumbered the jubilant by about five to one. The queue stretched back 500 yards at one point and, to no avail, gardai requested the Irish Rugby Football Union to start selling tickets earlier than the official time of 10 a.m..
Further back in the queue, feelings were running high about the IRFU. "Why did they make it so unwieldy and awkward?" asked Mr Michael Kirby of Ballyclough, Limerick. "They are treating their supporters with total disdain."
Mr Aidan Harney, from Clare view in Limerick, had queued since 6.10 a.m. only to see those immediately before him gain admission for tickets at 12.10 p.m. "It is a complete shambles, it is disgraceful, especially with clubs selling out tickets at corporate lunches."
Dick Hogan adds: Queues began to form outside the IRFU offices in Cork at 4.30 a.m., and many people were still there at 11 a.m. when, finally, officials emerged to say the allocation had been snapped up. There were angry scenes when the crowd heard only 1,000 tickets had been available. It had been understood the allocation in Cork would be up to 4,000.
In the rush for tickets, many people who had driven to the IRFU's offices in Penrose Quay, either ignored or were too excited to bother with parking restrictions and on top of the disappointment of not getting tickets, found their cars had been clamped.