SOME Tyrone GAA fans hoping to see their county in action in Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final could be left disappointed as clubs report a shortage of tickets.
With just three days to go until the Red Hands attempt to dethrone champions Dublin on their home turf, supporters are facing an anxious wait as demand outstrips supply.
Two Tyrone sides as well as Derry's minor team will be in action in Croke Park in back-to-back matches.
Tyrone will feature in the first ever All-Ireland under-17 final, against Roscommon, before Derry meet Dublin in the minor semi-final at 2pm.
Along with the senior semi-final it is expected to be an 82,000 sell-out but it is understood the total allocation for Red Hand fans was just 12,000, with just under 1,000 season ticket holders covered by the GAA on top of that figure.
Tyrone GAA public relations officer Eunan Lindsay said demand for tickets has been at a level not seen since 2008, when the county last won the All-Ireland title.
He said: "It seems to be worse in certain clubs than others, but until Croke Park come back with an allocation there is not much we can do."
Several clubs in Tyrone and Dublin have taken to social media to inform members that they may be left disappointed.
In a post on Facebook, Trillick St Macartan's GAC said: "The county board has informed us that they will not be able to fulfil all ticket requests from our club at this stage. They are working to try and satisfy all orders but at this point cannot guarantee they will be met."
Dublin club St Finian's, based in Swords, also said it had "only received half of our requested order for stand tickets from the county board due to such high demand".
Others have reported fewer difficulties, with one Tyrone club, which did not wish to be named, saying it had received close to its full request.
An official said: "The tickets are all spoken for and we got members to order and pre-pay for them.
"It is the anticipation and the lure of being there when you beat a great team like Dublin in Croke Park. These are exciting times for Tyrone people."
Earlier this month the GAA intervened to cancel some tickets being sold online at inflated prices.
Association rules state that it is "prohibited to sell, advertise or offer to sell" a ticket to "any person at a price in excess of face value".
Tickets sold centrally through the GAA were snapped up within five minutes of being released, priced at €45 for a seat and €30 standing, but within hours some were being offered online for more than €200 each.
It is thought that the number of tickets available to clubs has been reduced through greater online sales as well as partnerships with the Centra and SuperValu chains.
The GAA did not respond to a request for comment from The Irish News.
