West Cork builder wins 10 All-Ireland final tickets in €10 Cavan GAA draw
It's probably the best €10 Kilbrittain man Sean O'Brien has ever spent.
With demand for tickets at fever pitch, Sean, like thousands of others, was on the hunt for tickets when he spotted that Cavan GAA was giving away 10 tickets to the hugely anticipated Cork vs Tipperary clash as first prize in their monthly draw. He decided to take a chance and enter.
His ticket was drawn on Thursday, and he now plans to make a family day out of the trip to Croke Park on Sunday, bringing his father, three sisters, and friends to the match.
Mr O'Brien said he is on top of the world about the win.
'It's great, it was just pure luck,' he said. 'It popped up on Facebook, I entered every draw going, I entered a draw from Mexico too – I follow Mexico GAA.'
Deciding whom to share the ticket with was tricky, he said.
'I was getting a few requests alright, people messaging saying 'Sean, my best friend'. It was a tough decision,' he said, laughing.
In the end, his three sisters and friends made up the group.
'They're great tickets,' he said. 'I don't know how I got so lucky. I'd be happy now if Cork win by just a point.'
Mark Gilsenan, a spokesman for Cavan GAA, said they were delighted the tickets had gone to a genuine fan — and to a Corkman.
'We had a much higher than usual entry – not surprising, I suppose, with Cork having such a big following,' he said.
'Not many clubs raffle off so many, and we'd been inundated across social media with messages and requests for tickets.
'In a draw like this, anyone could have won, so we're delighted it's gone to someone so genuine. We couldn't have picked a better winner.'
Croke Park in Dublin. Picture: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile
He explained that Cavan GAA was able to offer the tickets thanks to a shrewd decision it made several years ago to invest €75,000 in a 10-year Croke Park ticket package.
'The tickets we gave away in the draw are not from our allocation of All Ireland final tickets from Croke Park. Those tickets were distributed to the clubs in the normal way,' he said.
'The All-Ireland final tickets offered in the raffle are ones we bought from Croke Park as part of that 10-year package all those years ago.'
The county board is now reaping the rewards of that investment, with funds raised from the monthly raffles going towards a multi-phase redevelopment of Kingspan Breffni Park, the home of Cavan GAA.
Its monthly draw has been running for years, with past prizes including Formula 1 packages, trips to Australia and New York (with spending money), and European Cup rugby tickets. Upcoming prizes include tickets to Oasis and Robbie Williams gigs, NFL tickets, and even a car.
'This was our third year of raffling a package of 10 All-Ireland tickets. We made the decision to raffle them as a package to give the winner more options around who they bring the final,' Mr Gilsenan said.
Anyone who spent €10 to enter the July draw and was in the drum for the All-Ireland hurling final will automatically be included in the draw for 10 football final tickets — Kerry vs Donegal on July 27.
That draw will take place the week before the final, and tickets can be purchased via this link: https://member.clubspot.app/club/cavan-gaa/fundraisers.
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