Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
than Croke Park but a great place to see these games up close. Tickets for league games
can be easily bought at the ground; tickets for All-Ireland matches get tougher to find the
further on the competition is, but those that are available can be bought at the
GAA Ticket
Office
(
01-865 8657; 53A Dorset St)
.
FOOTBALL
Although Dubliners are football-mad, the five Dublin teams that play in the
League of Ireland
(
www.leagueofireland.com
)
are semi-pro, as the best players are all drawn to the glamour of the
English Premier League. The season runs from April to November; tickets are available at
all grounds.
The national side plays its home games at the world-class
Aviva Stadium
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
( 01-647 3800;
www.avivastadium.ie
;
11-12 Lansdowne Rd)
; a relatively high pricing
structure and the general mediocrity of the team means that home matches don't usually
sell out and you can buy tickets (€30 to €60) from the
Football Association of Ireland
(FAI;
01-676 6864;
www.fai.ie
)
.
RUGBY
Rugby is a big deal in certain parts of Dublin - generally the more affluent neighbour-
hoods of south Dublin - but the successes of both provincial side Leinster and the national
team have catapulted rugby to the forefront of sporting obsessions.
Three-time European champions Leinster play home games at the
Royal Dublin Society
Showgrounds
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(RDS Showground; ; 01-668 9878; Merrion Rd, Ballsbridge)
. Tick-
ets for both competitions are available at
Elvery's
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
( 01-679 4142; Suffolk
St)
and at its branch on
Dawson St
( 01-679 1141; Dawson St)
; at the Spar opposite the
Donnybrook Rugby Ground; or online from the
Irish Rugby Football Union
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(IRFU; ;
The premier competition is the yearly Six Nations championship, played between
February and April by Ireland, England, France, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Home matches
are played at the Aviva Stadium; tickets are available from the IRFU.
HORSE & GREYHOUND RACING
Horse racing is a big deal in Dublin, especially when you consider that Irish trainers are
amongst the best in the world and Irish jockeys dominate the field in British racing. There
are several racecourses within driving distance of the city centre that host good quality
meetings throughout the year. These include the
Curragh
( 04-544 1205;
www.curragh.ie
; County
Kildare)
, which hosts five classic flat races between May and September;
Fairyhouse
(
