Initially I thought I'd be stuck on the continent for the AI final but I have managed to secure two tickets and will be back for the best day that the green sod has to offer. This will be my 9th AI final and although the rituals have changed as I've become older and richer this is more or less what I'll be doing that weekend.

Land in Belfast on Friday morning, with the woman, and take the quick hop round the lough to east Tyrone. I'll tend to the graves of my parents and some of the districts brave volunteers. I'll stay the night in the homestead and have a catch up with the brother.

On Saturday I'll take the rental car and the missus down to Dublin in the AM and be there in time for lunch, Cafe en Seine. We'll check into the Four Seasons, hit the town and do a bit of shopping in BTs. We'll make use of the spa facilities and restaurant at the hotel and then head Clerys for a few pints.

Sunday morning well get refreshed in the spa and take a walk up to Grafton Street to get the bird a replica jersey. Walk over the bridge up to Croke and then settle somewhere a few hours before the game for a pint or two. Grab a bite somewhere on Sunday evening. Can anyone suggest a nice place??

Back up to Belfast on Monday afternoon, drop off the rental car and fly back to the continent.... job done and i cant wait.

What are you boys all at?

CheFinny (UK) - Posts: 1358 - 16/09/2012 19:14:28    1267160

Friday - few beers in local 3/4 just to get into swing
Sat morn. Pretend to be useful at home - cut grass - take kids swimming etc.
Sat noon - go for a run last healthy thing i do for a few days !
Sat - head to dublin/park up/ check in
Sat evening - meet the lads somewhere south central donohes/ doheny and nesbitts etc.
Sat night - no firm plans prob flannerys - harcourt - cassidys etc.
Late sat night - not sure yet in 92 our club diaspora ran a function -,talkmof samemthis year

Sun morn - will head up near ground but will avoid the real busy spots big tree/ quinns prob mcgraths/ kavanaghs
3/4 pints headvto croker about 2 pm
Will have 2/3 pints in croker while watching end of minor game and build up grab some food
Sun evening . Go with the flow
Sun night -? Aim to hit burlo for after the banquet win or lose
Mon -afternoon lough eske castle hotel
Mon evening donegal town
Tuesday - The cottage in Letterkenny
Wed - detox.

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 16/09/2012 19:38:34    1267171

Hope ye have a good weekend in the capital lads.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 16/09/2012 20:07:55    1267189

Trying to get tickets.

Samsforthehills (Donegal) - Posts: 1075 - 16/09/2012 20:28:15    1267203

"Spa's and shopping in BT's" !!!! and then off to Landsdowne Road for the match!!!

eaglehaslanded (Cork) - Posts: 135 - 17/09/2012 11:10:49    1267394

eaglehaslanded
County: Cork
Posts: 26

1267394
"Spa's and shopping in BT's" !!!! and then off to Landsdowne Road for the match!!!
______________
ha ha ha, nice one!

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 17/09/2012 11:27:20    1267405

1. Im getting the Ryanair Redeye @ 7.00m from Wrockla lands in Dublin at 8.00 am
2. Bus into town
3. Book into Jacobs Hostel near the Bus Station
4. Few tinnies and sambos back in the room
5. Guineys/ILAC centre for a bit of shopping

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 17/09/2012 11:42:58    1267416

Friday:

Finish work in Dublin and give the apartment a good cleaning in advance of the inevitable visitors over the weekend. Locate air mattresses and sleeping bags.
4 or 5 pints in the local to prime myself for the weekend ahead.

Saturday:

Up early and into town to get the boyfriend responsibilities out of the way, namely feigning interest while the woman does her usual damage in Arnotts and Grafton St.
Bit of grub somewhere and then off to the airport to pick up the brother and his wife. Bit of chat and then the spruce up before hitting town around 7 for some dinner. After that it will most likely be a night of drunken mis-adventure in and around Camden/Harcourt St.

Sunday:

Up early to cook a fry for everyone. A cigarette with one shot of chilled Jagermeister (great for the cure!) and then off up to the Big Tree for a couple just. If we've time we'll stop in the Croke Park hotel for one aswell. After that it's straight into Croke Park to enjoy what will hopefully be a famous win. Sunday evening will totally depend on the result.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9785 - 17/09/2012 11:43:03    1267417

Been doing this every year for over 20 years

Friday Evening:
Wash and clean the car, fill the tank.
Saturday
Big breakfast
Pick up the lads early saturday and up to dublin.
Check in, lunch, chill in Dublin, few pints, dinner, cards, shelbourne park, out for the night.
Sunday
Big fry, Mass, Checkout, park the car for home.
Head down O' Connell St. to soak up atmosphere
Head to Croke Park for the minor match.
Game Time
Dinner post match, down the road and look forward to next year hoping it will be Donegal the following years champs.

Maybe this year it will!!!

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1677 - 17/09/2012 12:17:28    1267463

Leave the gaf 15 mins before the throw in to the minor game. Be in my seat in the Cusack for 5 mins before throw in.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13803 - 17/09/2012 12:21:45    1267466

Sat night work in waterford. get home and get at least 6 hours sleep. I hate turning up to croke park like a zombie,,i did this for the kerry game and enjoyed it less as a result.

Sunday, go to drumcondra. Early christmas shopping......

for a ticket

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3847 - 17/09/2012 12:49:08    1267493

CheFenny your routine is a bit more up market than mine.

Down home from college on Friday evening from Dublin. Playing in a match Saturday evening. Few cans that night be grand. Only cans though, can't be blowin the grant money on expensive pints.

Up around seven oclock sunday mornin for the fry. I'll try source out a lift to Dublin before then. When I get up there, into the college house with the lads, throw a few cans back and head down to somewhere like the big tree for the atmosphere. None of us could get tickets so that's the closest we'll get. Throw back a scatter of pints while shouting at Joe Brolly on the Sunday Game. Watch Mayo win. Back to the house for some more Dutch Gold. Then into coppers and try chat up some Donegal birds. Off back to the house and miss my first two days of lectures with a hangover.

Mighty stuff!

razor99 (Mayo) - Posts: 186 - 17/09/2012 12:52:13    1267495

Myself and friend land in Dublin at 3, bus to Rathmines, get to hotel drop bags off, then start off on a walk into town, stopping of along the way, Portebello, Bleeding Horse, Flannerys, a few more. Meet some boys later on that evening, more pints, Coppers then perhaps. Curry chip, breast of chicken and can of coke in chipper at Portobello. Back to hotel. Wake about 10 Sun in the horrors, get breakfast, try and track down London County board members and hound them for a few tickets. Head up to around Croker, few more scoops. Meet some pals after the game, tell them I was right that Donegal would win it easy, then repeat what happened the night before.

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 17/09/2012 13:08:45    1267520

MesAmis
County: Dublin
Posts: 4944

1267466 Leave the gaf 15 mins before the throw in to the minor game. Be in my seat in the Cusack for 5 mins before throw in.

Class...

DUB1 (Dublin) - Posts: 5583 - 17/09/2012 13:31:50    1267550

Thumb a lift from Donegal that Saturday.

Hit Coppers Saturday night and hopefully get the shift at least.

Scrounge a ticket on the Sunday from somewhere!

That night, back home some way or another safe in the knowledge (i hope) that we are All Ireland Champions!

Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1426 - 17/09/2012 14:25:51    1267612

Friday evening - Tear up the M4 in the Vectra like Jensen Button, chat up woman in tollbooth, dump bag in a kip in Phibsboro, Flannerys and Coppers, impress all the Julies with charismatic Leitrim pesonality and Joaquin Phoenix-like handsome looks.
Saturday - Find me way home from some womans gaff, pack the Vectra with diesel in Mount Brown, few breakfast rolls, FIFA12 online, evening - Hogans, Flannerys and Coppers/D2. Ignore Friday nights Julies text messages of being in love with me already. Complain to taxi driver about the price of Guinness in Dublin. Tell him about my great knowledge of the Nigerian World Cup team of '94 and also explain Leitrim had a good summer that year as well.
Sunday - Quinns - watch match, Big Tree, Hideout, McGowans, anywhere that'll let me in. Go for loosing teams Julies as they'll want some cheering up.
Monday - Mangled, sleep on a couch all day. Chat some Julies on Facebook. Head for the holy land, home at 8 or 9. Hit the local for a few settlers and arrange to meet Friday nites Julie in Carrick some weekend.

Grey_Wolf (Leitrim) - Posts: 236 - 17/09/2012 14:29:43    1267618

MesAmis
County: Dublin
Posts: 4944

1267466 Leave the gaf 15 mins before the throw in to the minor game. Be in my seat in the Cusack for 5 mins before throw in.

Sure wheres the craic in that?

Fri: Home to Castlebar for the Mitchels Up For the Match /race night in An Sportlann. Few pints and some serious conversation about the match. Might even win a few bob or one of the tickets that are up for grabs. See if there's any spare tickets knocking about to look after the folks.

Sat: Up bright and early. Go for run. Home for fry. Get picked up by mates around 11 and hit the road for Dublin. Stop for few pints somewhere in Ros to rub it into the rossies! Arrive in dublin around 5. Shower, shave and hit Smyths in Ranelagh for few warm up pints. Onto the Barge and god knows where after that.

Sun: Wake up on the floor in mates gaff. Run, shower, shave. Get kitted out in the green and red Good hearty breakfast and then head in towards Croke Park to soak up the atmosphere. Not one for pints before the game. Like to keep my powder dry. Into croke park for the minor game and then the big one. Mayo to put in a serious performance and beat Donegal by 1 or 2 points. Pitch Invasion. Gree and Red of Mayo. Euphoria. Few days of carnage ahead! Can't Wait!

pdempsey (Mayo) - Posts: 1313 - 17/09/2012 14:36:46    1267630

Book into rental apartments Christchurch Friday to Saturday night, hit the usual night spots and hopefully find a good trad session, let the wife do a bit of Shopping on Saturday , while I relax in The Brazen Head, Sunday book into the City West and hopefully my source has got me tickets for the Banquet never let me down yet thanks Manus! up to Croker around 12 catch a bit of craic and banter around the Big tree depending on the minor game head to the ground nothing like the hill on All Ireland Sunday . Sleep in for wimps as uncle Del once told me , party for the next few days then back to work normally Night's .

fortyfive (Tyrone) - Posts: 5929 - 17/09/2012 15:12:34    1267680

Julie is a strong name Grey.

donegalboy (Donegal) - Posts: 120 - 17/09/2012 17:35:26    1267809

I don't know I forget what I did in 2010

chicago09 (Kerry) - Posts: 694 - 17/09/2012 19:26:30    1267884