Inside Track: Dundalk supporters are flying after a third victory

It could be there’s greater affluence among Dundalk FC supporters than their Louth GAA counterparts.

From what I can gather there’ll be no-one among the latter flying down to Cork for Sunday week’s crucial National League tie. Trains, cars and buses perhaps, but that will be it.

It’s known, however, that several took to the air for last Friday night’s historic meeting of Dundalk and Kerry FC in Tralee. The hope is they were booked before the price took a reported hike.

In his column last week in this paper, Gerry Malone said that at €40 a ticket, travelling by plane was a no-brainer. Too true; but from what’s being said, the basement didn’t stay for too long.

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Still. if any of those in the 600-strong travelling party had to go big they’d say it was worth it. They saw their team extending their unbeaten early-season run to three games, needing just one goal.

It was a third 1-0 scoreline, prompting one supporter to say they are playing like an Italian club side, scoring once and then closing shop.

Oriel plays host to Treaty United this Friday night. It will be a first-ever visit to the Carrick Road for the Limerick side, and if it ends with another 1-0 scoreline, local supporters won’t mind if it’s their team who are on the right side of it.

Back to air fare rip-offs. Whatever the price to Kerry was, it’s unlikely to have been anywhere near what Arsenal fans are being landed with for today’s trip to Holland to see their team play PSV in the European Championship.

What was priced at around £20 before it became known who The Gunners would be playing in the last 16, rocketed to over £400 after the draw was made

As the fella says, bad enough for someone to put their hand in your pocket, but when they do it twice. That’s what this is, only an awful lot worse.

TRIP TO CORK

There’s a train trip being organised for Cork, and my aim is to be on it. Planned is to board the iron horse at Clarke Station, travel to Connolly, and then make the switch to Heuston Street.

It will be then on to either Thurles or Mallow for an overnight stay. (It being St Patrick’s weekend, the word is that the scalpers will be trading in Cork. Best, therefore, to find somewhere else to stay on Saturday night.)

The trip southwards will be timed to take in the rugby match on telly. Ireland are out against Italy in Rome, and by winning, Simon Easterby’s team could scoop all they’ve being playing for in the Six Nations. The Triple Crown is already in the bag; yet to be decided is the Championship.

Ireland’s the only team with the chance of winning the Grand Slam. For that to happen there’ll have to be a win over France at The Aviva this weekend, and after that a defeat of Italy.

Driving to Cork would be a long haul, and even longer coming home if Louth are beaten and it’s raining.

I did journeys of the kind when carrying greyhounds to places like Belfast, Dublin, Newbridge, Mullingar, and on a couple of occasions, Thurles.

The craic would be great if there’d been a win, but quite the opposite if the result went against us. And if it was raining and us coming away empty-handed, my only comfort as driver would be to turn on the radio.