Supporters ready to leave the familiar surrounds of Dublin 4 for the first rugby match to be played at Croke Park.
The first rugby match to take place at Croke Park in Dublin is scheduled for 11 February 2007. Tickets for the historic Six Nations Championship encounter between Ireland and France are changing hands for up to €1,000.
Some publicans near the now dormant Lansdowne Road stadium are offering rugby fans a shuttle bus service to and from Croke Park, to ensure they do not lose out on the lucrative pre and post-match trade.
Niall Lawless proprietor of Paddy Cullen's Pub in Ballsbridge says demand for the shuttle bus service is huge and tickets will be allocated on a first come first served basis. The service is nothing to do with northside, southside rivalry,
If people are comfortable here I want to get them back here.
For those unfamiliar with attending the northside venue, Dublin City Council and Dublin Bus have devised a special travel map to assist those heading to Croke Park for the first time. This amuses Paul Howard the creator of the fictional Dublin 4 rugby archetype Ross O'Carroll-Kelly,
It's really funny cos it does kind of does smack of you know, rugby is going to a foreign country.
Locals in Quinn's Pub in Drumcondra are confident the rugby crowed will be given a great welcome and find plenty to enjoy on the northside. As Croke Park is a state of the art stadium, it has much to offer rugby fans,
Huge crowed, best pitch in Europe, what do you want?
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 8 February 2007. The reporter is Niamh Nolan.
