Kildare GAA

Kildare GAA is one of the most distinctive teams in Ireland playing in an all-white strip and known as The Lilywhites. The county has won four senior men’s All-Ireland Football Championships and has a particular depth in Gaelic football, with 45 clubs across the county. Camogie is also actively played in the county, with Kildare winnings four All-Ireland Junior Camogie Championships.

The county ground of Kildare GAA is at St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge, and following a naming-rights agreement in 2023, it is now known as Cedral St Conleth’s Park. The ground has a capacity of 6,200.

Challenge

Kildare GAA partnered with Future Ticketing in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic when sports grounds were restricted for capacities on a game by game basis. Each club had to grant access to customers limited to 300 people but split by 150 customers per club minus 40 for players and management. This capacity was further restricted as a customer could only attend one event over the duration of a weekend. The immediate challenge was how to cater for these complex restrictions in a timely manner.

Solution

These complex ticketing requirements were comfortably met by the in-built flexibility of the Future Ticketing software which was originally designed for horseracing, an industry which has some of the most complex ticketing requirements of any sport.

Inclusivity is a key value of the GAA where everyone should have access to buy a ticket. This focus on accessibility was delivered by Future Ticketing through its simple and easy customer journey in a few simple steps where supporters click their event, then their ticket type and finally make payment. In addition, fans could purchase tickets without a requirement to log in.

Value-added

Moving beyond the pandemic and the ending of attendance restrictions, Kildare GAA has benefited from developing and deepening its relationships with its fans who can go directly to the county website and purchase tickets for games. Kildare GAA benefits from an immediate access to revenue, data ownership and satisfied fans who can purchase tickets in just three simple steps.