Crowd of 30,000 could be allowed attend All-Ireland finals in August

Things are starting to look hopeful for sports fans this summer.

A crowd of 30,000 could be allowed to attend this year's All-Ireland football and hurling finals in August. The Department of Sport could be making plans for the return of fans to sporting fixtures, according to the Irish Mail on Sunday. At present, no supporters are permitted to attend any matches, however, the Irish Mail report stated that the Government might be planning for a safe return sooner than we think. It's understood that the plan will be split into three phases, with crowds of very limited numbers in the beginning stages, before increasing in size throughout the summer. The return of fans would reportedly include competitions such as the GAA Championships, the League of Ireland, rugby fixtures, and golf's Irish Open. Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media, Catherine Martin, recently said that Ireland will pilot large-scale sporting events and concerts in the coming months.

While the Minister could not give a timeline for when these events will take place, she did confirm that they will be allowed both "indoors and outdoors".

Martin said on Thursday that she was happy to be able to give a "hopeful signal" for the summer after the Cabinet agreed to pilot the events in a move mirroring a number of other European countries. "I've received agreement from my Cabinet colleagues, for pilot large-scale events, indoors and outdoors," she said. "This is a positive signal to the events industry whose doors have remained closed for so long, that we are planning to reopen you again in a safe way. I hope this is a positive, hopeful signal for summer to come. "I hope today sets a positive tone for everyone as we move into the summer months." The Gov.ie website says that live events are going to be examined at the end of June alongside a number of other "high-risk" activities such as the reopening of cinemas, and "enhanced higher and further education on-campus experience for the new academic year".