Where to watch Six Nations rugby in Dublin?

February 1, 2008 2:28 AM

Where should an American go to watch a Six Nations rugby match in Dublin?

I'm in Dublin for business and found out that Ireland and Italy are playing a Six Nations rugby match in town tomorrow. I don't know much about the sport, but it seems like it will be quite the event and I want in.

Would it be crazy to try and get (or scalp) tickets for the match at Croke Park? Or would I be better off finding a pub and a pint? Pub suggestions are welcome as well...

posted by bbuda to sports, hobbies, & recreation (7 comments total)

Croke Park is pretty big so you might just be able to get tickets, but be warned that it's freezing here now so if you do get tickets, wrap up because the stadium is only built up on 3 sides, the 4th side, 'The hill is standing only and uncovered.

Pub-wise.
Sinnotts beside St Stephens Green is great atmoshpere and is always mobbed.
Kiely’s pub in Donnybrook is beside the Leinster Rugby ground and has a good reputation as a decent pub.
The Mercantile on Dame Street is also pretty good for games.


The problem is that most of the original "rugby pubs" are down near landsdowne road, where Ireland used to play, but because it's being developed they moved to Croke Park. which is on the other side of the city, and all the pubs up there are GAA(hurling and gaelic football) pubs. So none of them are established as rugby pubs yet.

so stick to the city centre and you'll be grand.
posted by MarvinJ at 3:18 AM on February 1

Nearly every pub in Dublin city centre will be showing the match on some sort of big screen, so you'll have no problems seeing it.

But it won't be that much of an event, really. Come back after we've won a few matches. (Though the chances of that happening this year...)
posted by macdara at 6:55 AM on February 1

The Old Stand is a civilised kind of rugby pub. I am emphatically not a sportsfan, but I watched a rugby match there once, and it was good fun without being overwhelmingly testosterony. Bonus: it's just of Grafton Street, so if you don't like it there'll be lots of alternatives nearby. One tip: get there (or to any pub on Six Nations Day) early, if you plan on sitting down.
posted by tiny crocodile at 6:56 AM on February 1

You must go to the match! The Italy match is always the least popular of the tournament (no offence to any Italians reading) - not because it's a bad match, but just because there's less heritage there (the Italians have only been in the tournament for a few years).

I am 100% confident that you'll have no problem getting a ticket on the street tomorrow, or in a pub. Try to buy from someone who looks like a rugby fan, rather than a tout/scalper. Try hanging around in some of the pubs near Croke looking for people with spare tickets - you'll be surprised how easy it is for a game like this.

Alternatively, you could post on a site like www.munsterfans.com, or leinsterfans.com - these are populated by decent rugby fans, and there's probably some people there trying to sell spare tickets right now. Often people are happy to agree a transaction in principle, and then arrange a meeting time/place on match day. Rugby fans are generally very decent people.

One other thing to bear in mind - the Irish rugby authorities sold these tickets in a pack - so if you wanted to buy tickets for any other game, you had to buy the same number for this match. That means there were A LOT of tickets sold to people who maybe didn't know what they were going to do with them. So you probably won't even have to pay over face value.

(Indeed, until about 3 hours ago, I still had a spare - if I hadn't gotten rid of it this morning you could have had it!)

Croke Park is a great stadium, and the 6 Nations is one of the greatest sporting events in the world. Everyone should try it once!
posted by ascullion at 8:20 AM on February 1

PS: Fagan's in Drumcondra is probably the best pub for rugby in the vicinity of Croke Park. The atmosphere was pretty good there on match days last season. But as I was in the stadium at match time, I don't know what it was like when the match had started! Certainly a good spot to pick up a ticket though.
posted by ascullion at 8:28 AM on February 1

Thanks for the encouragement ascullion - I'm gonna head out to Croke tomorrow morning and see if I can find a ticket!
posted by bbuda at 1:58 PM on February 1

You picked a real stinker of a match bbuda! Shoulda gone to Twickhenham instead ;-)
posted by afx237vi at 1:20 PM on February 2