'The whole county is behind you': Cork gearing up for a bumper All-Ireland Sunday

Cork is gearing up for a bumper day of business tomorrow, as those who didn’t get tickets for the match head into the city to enjoy the buzz of supporting the team.

Rob Horgan, president of Cork Chamber, said the economic boost would be felt across Cork, telling The Echo: “Big occasions like the All-Ireland final create a fantastic buzz right across Cork, in every village and town, and in the heart of our city.

“The excitement and pride that come with supporting the Rebels bring people together and drive footfall to our urban areas, whether it’s families enjoying the Fanzone, friends gathering in local bars and cafes, or visitors soaking up the atmosphere.

“It’s a real lift for businesses, particularly retail, hospitality, and tourism, and a reminder of how sport adds vibrancy and high spirits to our communities. It’s been a fantastic build-up and a win on Sunday would be the icing on the cake and a real boost for our local economy.”

Lord Mayor of Cork city, Fianna Fáil councillor Fergal Dennehy, said excitement had been building in the city all week, and that he would be attending the match himself.

He told The Echo: “I want to take this opportunity to wish Pat, the backroom staff, and the squad all the best on Sunday. The city is buzzing with excitement, and businesses and homes across Cork are showing their support for the lads — it is incredible to see.

“Cork is the home of hurling, and I am proud to be a Rebel myself. I am excited to cheer on the team and represent our city in Dublin on Sunday. I also wish the best to all retailers and hospitality staff over the weekend, who will go the extra mile as fans come out in force to support Pat and the lads.”

Pubs too are preparing for a bumper day of business, as many people who are not heading to Dublin choose to go into town to watch the match with friends.

Ernest Cantillon, owner of Sober Lane, told The Echo he thought it would be a very busy day in the city centre: “Because there’s such demand for tickets, surely people who want to go can’t go, I also think that for a lot of people it is just so expensive to go to a match in Dublin — ticket, train, parking, a few beers, and hotels particularly.

“For us, it will be a big day. We’re lucky Sober Lane is quite big, we’ve loads of TVs, a big screen so it’s a good place to watch a match. We have a good food offering so people will come in early and stay for the day.

“We’ve live music after the match so people will stay — obviously if Cork win it will be a much bigger day for us as people would stay out. If they don’t, people tend to drift away because they have work the next day.

“It will be a very busy day for us, we’ve lots of flags up. It’s nice, there’s flags all over town there’s a real excitement and a good buzz about it — we’ve loads of bookings, we always keep room for walk-ins but lots of groups of tens and twelves have booked in so they get a really good spot in front of the TV.”

Sports shops have also been enjoying a boost, with Marie Claire Cummins from Cummins saying: “It’s been absolutely brilliant from a business point of view for us, anytime Cork get any bit of a run in the All-Ireland it’s great.

“But also for the staff, there’s a lovely buzz around with all the people coming in to get last minute bits and pieces, we had people coming in on the way up to Dublin the day of the semi-final.

“On the day of the All-Ireland we’re actually altering our opening hours to coincide with the match —we’d usually open 12pm-6pm on a Sunday but we’re opening 9am-2pm instead, that way people can get their last minutes en route to Dublin, but also our staff can get home and enjoy the match or go out with their friends to cheer on Cork.

“I don’t know do many places do it but we’re a family business and we’re very conscious that people have lives and our staff want to go home and watch the match too.”

Ms Cummins added that the team were inspirational for young people: “We’d have a lot of young kids coming in buying a Cork jersey or buying a hurley and we put the grip on for them — the younger generation aspire to be like the Cork players.”

TRANSPORT

Trains are expected to be busy also, with an Iarnrod Éireann spokesperson saying: “We are running an additional 19 services for the All-Ireland Hurling final. All services are now sold out.

“Those not in possession of a valid reservation will not be permitted to travel. No alcohol will be permitted onboard any services and it will be confiscated before boarding.”

They added: “We wish both Tipperary and Cork good luck for the big match.”

County Mayor Mary Linehan Foley also wished the team best of luck, telling The Echo: “This is a moment of history, the first time Cork and Tipp have ever met in an All-Ireland final. We’ve seen many great battles between the sides in Munster down through the years, but this one is truly special.

“From nought to 90, the whole county is behind you. Whether lucky enough to get a ticket for Croker or watching from home, we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way.

“You’ve made us proud with your grit, skill, and passion all season. Go out there, give it everything, and bring the Liam MacCarthy Cup back to Cork where it belongs.”