The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has announced that it is going to being charging under 16-year-olds to attend higher division league games for the first time.

Prices are remaining at €20 euro for adults and €15 for senior citizens for the division one and two football league games and division 1A and 1B hurling games for the 2025 Allianz League games.

However, a €5 charge on children's tickets for all division one and two fixtures in football and division 1A and 1B in hurling will be introduced.

In addition to the €5 charge, under 16’s tickets must be purchased with an adult ticket.

On Lunchtime Live, Off The Ball GAA correspondent Tommy Rooney said the charge has been introduced due to “health and safety concerns”.

“They've said that it's due to health and safety concerns after a number of issues that arose at club games this year,” he said.

“Now we know one or two incidents that would have occurred around the country, but I don't know many more beyond that… but that's what they're saying is the reason.”

Tommy said that after consultation with other counties, the GAA have decided this is the best way to “assist with event control and health and safety protocols for fixtures that attract bigger attendances”.

He noted that ticket prices for the GAA leagues are not “extortionate” but said the introduction of the €5 fee has “probably caused a little bit of discontent”.

Incidents

Tommy said that he also thinks this could be a way to put off teens just going to the matches to cause trouble because they can get in for free.

“In Wexford in September, Wexford GAA insisted that unaccompanied juveniles could no longer be admitted free to their championship games following an incident at one of their senior hurling quarterfinals,” he said.

“I think there was a young girl attacked by a group at the venue.

“It was spoken about - a couple of small but serious incidents that had happened with teenage children at some of their games - they were obviously getting in for free.”

"It adds up"

Tommy said that while a €5 charge is not that excessive, we don’t want to risk pricing children out of sports, adding that for large families "it adds up".

“I do think on one hand, we got to be very clear with this - you want children going to sporting events, you don't want kids priced out of going to anything,” he said.

“But you also have to listen that if there are issues, or if issues have arisen in the last little while, that you can understand in ways bringing in a €5 charge.”

Others on the show felt the new rule of only being able to buy tickets for those under 16 with an adult ticket was too harsh.

“You have plenty of responsible under 16 year olds,” one texter said.

Tommy said it’s worth “keeping an eye on” to see if the GAA will keep these rules throughout 2025.

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Gaa Football wexford Final. Image: Alamy