Inside Track: The hunt is on for prized All-Ireland tickets

They’re like gold dust, tickets for the All-Ireland finals. It’s always been like that, with the lucky and the privileged getting their hands on them.

Ordinary club members can join the elite; but in most cases they have to be lucky, having their name drawn from the hat, or winning one in a raffle.

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Croke Park will be full to the gills on Sunday next, and the Sunday after that. It’s the hurling meeting of Cork and Tipperary first, and then Kerry and Donegal in the football.

“You’re in the know,” someone said to me last week, and then asked: “could you get me one.”

What he probably meant by “in the know” was, that as a scribbler I’d have access to a ticket, or tickets, or would know someone would have one to spare.

Being a carrier of Croke Park-issued Press pass doesn’t automatically get you in the door on All-Ireland day. What does, your county’s involvement.

Indeed, as I found out to my total inconvenience a few Sundays ago, it doesn’t even gain admission to the crow’s nest on All-Ireland quarter- or semi-final days, if you haven’t booked.

So, like many hundreds, if not thousands, I’ll be on the look-out over the coming days.

That aside, there are two clinkers in store. To be more exciting than last year’s hurling final, the first-ever meeting of Cork and Tipperary will have to be very special indeed.

They’ve met many times in Munster in the past, Christy Ring often facing fire and brimstone in the depths of “Hell’s Kitchen”, also known as the Tipperary full-back line. Cork to win.

And the following Sunday? Well, this repeat of the 2014 final brings together two of the country’s most talented teams, managed by men who’ve been through the mill and have emerged as winners.

Jack O’Connor is the veteran Kerry boss and has led his county to All-Ireland glory on four occasions this century. Donegal’s Jim McGuinness has been on the podium just once, but hasn’t been as long on the sideline as his Sunday week opposite.

Both teams were impressive in the semi-finals, Kerry putting the whip down long before the finish of their match with Tyrone, and Donegal scoring by 20 points to put an end to Meath’s hope-filled run after they’d been beaten by Louth in the Leinster final.

David Clifford will only have to replicate either of his displays in the knock-outs to steer Kerry to victory and clinch the player-of-the-year award. (He’s probably nailed on for the gong already.).

But more about Clifford and the final next week.