Dublin manager Dessie Farrell has urged public health authorities to consider opening up Croke Park for the friends and family of players to attend the All-Ireland football finals this month.
Farrell was speaking after his side's 1-24 to 0-12 win over Cavan in the All-Ireland semi-final and referenced packed shopping centres across the country when calling for Croke Park to be opened up to a larger number for the All-Ireland football final.
"We've had this conversation amongst ourselves," Farrell explained of the desire for more people to be in attendance at the 82,000 seat stadium.
"We had a number of our backroom team not able to come tonight because the numbers wouldn't allow it, but yet they are at our training sessions a couple of times during the week.
"So it doesn't make a lot of sense from that perspective. They are in our family, in our bubble if you like, so that's disappointing."
Noting the "special cultural" value of the All-Ireland final, Farrell said it would be "a shame for family members if there wasn't some allowance made" for them.
"You look around the country today, we are back at level three. Every shopping centre the length and breadth of the country is full of people buzzing around."
"The GAA have demonstrated they can manage this situation really, really well. I think having another couple of hundred or a thousand people here for both hurling and football finals would make very little difference."
Farrell continued that public health authorities should consider the sacrifices that are made for a player to reach an All-Ireland final.
"I am encouraging the authorities to think about this, that for a player to end up on the pitch here tonight or on any given day there is a huge amount of support in the background, family members, loved ones, friends, work colleagues that make huge sacrifices to allow that to happen.
"And you know, from a player's perspective they would love to recognise that and they would love if they were in a position to attend an all-Ireland final."
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