People With Spare Final Tickets Acting Like They Run a Drug Cartel

10th Jul 2025

They know you want their product. They know you need their product. But you are not worthy enough of even a text back not to mind a phone call about a spare All-Ireland ticket they posted about on social media.   

One post which appeared suspiciously soon after the semi-final win over Dublin, and made by a fourth cousin of Cork midfielder Tim O’Mahony, simply said “Spare ticket” and nothing else. But those two words, and the clear absence of a question mark (thus implying he had one as opposed to wanted one) are enough to burn out a telephone exchange as Corkonians desperately scramble for All-Ireland final tickets. 

John Jones-O’Leary from Kanturk received a text back from the ticket seller that said “400e cash only, exchange in Mallow playground”. 

“It’s suspiciously cheap,” said Jones-O’Leary, “but they’re just trying to get you hooked. It’s probably for a pre-match function in some gammy hotel in Kildare but I’ll take it if I can get it”.

Mother of two, Marian Smyth-Dwyer from Douglas had a ticket seller walk through her home and pick out furniture and appliances he would accept in exchange for the ticket while Finbarr Óg Barry-Murphy from Tower agreed a 10 year 15% APR loan with a ticket seller he found on Done Deal.  

“He told me he’d burn me out if I ever missed a payment,” said Barry-Murphy, “which is fair enough. Sure it's the All-Ireland final!”