A MAXIMUM OF 5,000 spectators will be permitted at live sporting events under new Covid-19 restrictions announced this evening.
The measures will come into effect from midnight on Sunday and will remain in place until 30 January, Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed in a televised speech.
The news comes following the latest coronavirus wave that has led to a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Outdoor sporting events will be restricted to a maximum of 50% of venue capacity or 5,000 spectators, whichever is lower.
Indoor sporting events will be limited to a maximum of 50% of venue capacity, or 1,000 spectators, whichever is lower, while no indoor events will be allowed after 8pm.
With the measures not coming into effect until midnight on Sunday, tomorrow evening’s Heineken Champions Cup clash between Munster and Castres will not be impacted.
Over 20,000 tickets have been sold for the match, with Thomond Park set to welcome its biggest crowd since December 2019.
Following on from the latest government update, the capacity for our upcoming fixtures against Leinster, Ulster, and Wasps at Thomond Park will be reduced.
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) December 17, 2021
More info ⤵️#SUAF 🔴
However the new restrictions will have an impact across the festive sporting calendar, with the St Stephen’s Day interprovincial clash between Munster and Leinster already a sell-out.
Following this evening’s announcement, Munster have confirmed that tickets sold on general sale for the upcoming games against Leinster (26 December), Ulster (8 January) and Wasps (23 January) will be declared void with refunds issued to patrons.
The province are working to facilitate season ticket holders and 10-year-ticket holders as a priority for those fixtures, and the Munster ticket office will make direct contact with those supporters with further details on ticket allocations in due course.
Meanwhile Connacht Rugby have asked supporters to “bear with us” as they work through the detail of the latest announcement. Connacht are due to host Munster at the Sportsground on 1 January in the first of a series of home fixtures next month.
The Christmas programme of national hunt racing around the country will also be subject to the new restrictions, as will the National Basketball Cup semi-finals weekend in Cork from 7-9 January.
Updated at 8.21pm with additional reporting from Ciarán Kennedy.
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Thank God the GAA and Soccer seasons are over so no proper sports are affected!
@Colm Ringo Kearney: all the magic sponges
@Colm Ringo Kearney: Ah good man Colm
@Colm Ringo Kearney: Yes the diving season is over!
@Colm Ringo Kearney: No fear you’d get covid at a GAA event because they’d charge you for it.
@Colm Ringo Kearney: Ehh the O’Byrne, McGrath, Walsh and FBD League are all back in, and then mostly finished by, the end of January, some GAA fan you are ;)
@Luke Duffy:
@Colm Ringo Kearney: not much of an i-q I see
Total disgrace and with numbers falling numbers, all a smokescreen for a failed Health System, ppl are worse to put up with these frauds.
@Leo O’ Leary: let’s see where the falling numbers are in 3 weeks time. You’ll be like a mouse then.
A load of auld sh|te
No logic behind that call
@Sam Murray: Very little logical behind any of their calls.
@Sam Murray: no logic behind your comment
Just this morning I bought a ticket for the Leinster v Montpellier match. It was to be my first time in the RDS since before the pandemic. Typical
@Máirtín Mac Cormaic: Would’ve been lonely in the RDS seeing as the game is on in France
@Paddy Kennedy: January.
@Paddy Kennedy: return leg is January in the RDS
@Paddy Kennedy: oh boy, you thought that would be funny and it backfired spectacularly!!!!
@Máirtín Mac Cormaic: well Mairtin, you should be thankful that you may have just been saved from a bad infection.
@Paddy Kennedy: l can’t stop laughing!
There is no problem with outdoor events. Outdoor events are not driving the numbers up. This is ridiculous
@thomas walsh: Says you? You think tens of thousands packed into a stadium, screaming and shouting into each other is no problem?
@Tracktrack: Other countries have been having outdoor sporting events with much larger crowds and no outbreaks. But by all means shut down and go hide again
Cork must not be playing any time soon!! No county finals to celebrate with Blackrock Michéal?
@Catherine Gaffney: to be fair, michaels club is nemo rangers
House parties are back again
Everytime someone gets a cold with an 99.7% recovery rate , you shut the country down? Is this the procedure for 10, 20,50 years? Aren’t ye all protected with the jab lovely big pharma has done out of the kindness of there heart. (Nothing to do with money) so it’s time to live with it. But unfortunately big phramas stakeholders need there money, so keep lining up for your boosters people yeeeeeeoooowww
How will they decide who gets to attend outdoor events? Who gets turned away??
@Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: A new system. Those with tickets get in. Those who don’t have tickets don’t get in.
@Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: Great Question
10,000 tickets sold out for each day at Leaporstown now reduced to 5,000
@Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: season ticket holders will probably get first refusal
@Cullen Smartass: Given the vast majority are ticket only events which need to be purchased in advance they will in fact need to turn ticket holders away.
@Paraic Malone: I’ve a ticket for Limerick on St. Stephens Day, another sold out event. A lot of people will have to be disappointed.
@Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: a lot of people may be thankful. Cheltenham No.2.
@Tracktrack: An event where no restrictions were breached!
There’s no end date on anything. Is it for a week or 2 weeks, a month? Until we reach some number?
@Roisin Brennan: 30th jsmuary.
@Roisin Brennan: 30 January
@Roisin Brennan: It’s a pandemic. It will come to an end, every pandemic has in history. They last on average two years. I would like to guess that this will moslty be settled, controlled or over by late spring 2022.
@Tracktrack: wrong it will go on till everyone keeps complying.
@Tracktrack: lol nice joke
Not giving out about the pub restrictions al all but to allow 5000 people to gather at an event allbeit outdoor is nothing short of criminal..I mean do people not cough & splurt all over each other at these events even more so? I am sure if for instance joe the jockey comes it at 25/1 people wont be just clapping. Yes they will have to wear masks but to be honest it does not cut it.
@Aidan Dorney: for someone not giving out you’re doing a lot of giving out
@Pete mc pete: I was only saying now get back in your box when or if you have something helpful or reasonable to say like Thomas who made a comment above you then you may only address me & only then..
Have a good evening.
@Aidan Dorney: So people may only address you if they agree with you? If they want the pubs cleared for 5pm all they would need to do is send you in at about 4:50, people would be clambering for the door
@Aidan Dorney: well that went over your head,good man Aidan and have a lovely weekend
I just can’t understand why they are restricting outdoor events when the science says covid is mainly spread indoors
@Donnacha Doyle: science ha ha. Its about making money. Science doesn’t come into it
Not giving out about the pub restrictions al all but to allow 5000 people to gather at an event allbeit outdoor is nothing short of criminal…I mean do people not cough & splurt all over each other at these events & even do more so? I am sure if for instance if Joe the jockey comes it at 25/1 people wont be just clapping. Yes they will have to wear masks but to be honest it does not cut it.
@Aidan Dorney: But it hasn’t been spreading. Large outdoor events have been going on all over the world with no greater outbreaks. It’s time to live our lives
@Aidan Dorney: stay at home then