IT'S one of the hottest topics of debate in GAA circles every autumn... where do the All-Ireland final tickets go?

Tickets for the showpiece finals in football and hurling are like the proverbial hens teeth, with people scouring every corner of the globe in an effort to claim the much sought-after golden tickets. Tens of thousands are left disappointed and unable to watch their team compete for Sam and Liam as part of the magical Croke Park experience.

There's a general belief that come the big games it's the banks, big business and other corporate sponsors who are given the right of passage into GAA HQ, but official GAA figures reveal that this is far from being the case. The actual allocations may come as a pleasant surprise to some grassroots supporters, as a shock to others, but we can now provide a full breakdown of who gets their hands on those elusive tickets.

OK, so lets start at the beginning. The official capacity of Croke Park is 82,300. However, there are quite a few of those unavailable for circulation. There are 4,143 long-term tickets owned in the Cusack Stand as part of the 10-year seats scheme, as well as 122 miscellaneous seats in the Lower Canal region kept free, the primary reason being that the GAA must provide an alternative for those who find themselves unable to sit in the upper tiers due to vertigo or other medical conditions.
As well as that, there are 10,528 Premium Level and Box seats which are also not available, leaving a total of 67,507 tickets available for general circulation.

Just over 24,000 tickets are allocated to counties not competing in the final, with the competing counties receiving over 26,000 between them. There is also an additional allocation of over 5,000 given to participating counties upon request.

Players tickets for competing counties totals 540, with the competing minor teams getting 70. There are 313 tickets for the Jubilee team and the youngsters competing in the Mini Sevens. Match officials receive 66, while the National Referees Panel get 42 tickets.

The other codes also receive a share, with 162 for Handball, 140 for Ladies Football and 120 for Camogie. Overseas arms of the Association get 520 tickets, while the media get 245 in total.

Now lets get into the contentious allocations.

First up are the sponsors, who received 671 tickets. Staff and sub-committees of the GAA receive an allocation of 1500, while schools and educational bodies get a weighty 2,586. Croke Park Stadium, the company responsible for the running of the venue, receives 220 tickets, while public representatives receive an allocation of 132.

Surprisingly, the Provincial Councils receive just 385 tickets, while Ard-Comhairle members get a total of 786. Former Presidents of the Association are also well looked after, with an allocation of 641 tickets.

If you're after a ticket for the final, one person who could prove useful to know though is the new Ard-Stiurthoir, Paraic Duffy, with the Monaghan man's post gaining him 326 tickets to each of the finals.