Up to this point, the impact of the ongoing fuel protests on sport has been relatively limited, with a quieter week on the domestic calendar. However, that is set to change significantly over the coming days, with a packed weekend of activity looming across multiple sports.
Ahead of Friday night’s League of Ireland fixtures, the FAI is reported to have been in direct contact with clubs facing away trips, encouraging them to make early and flexible travel arrangements in response to significant congestion reported on key routes across the country.
Sligo Rovers travelling away to Bohemians, Shelbourne away to Galway and Waterford away to Drogheda are the teams most likely to be impacted tonight in the Premier Division. Dundalk to Derry will be less impacted and the Virgin Media game tonight is a Dublin Derby between St Pats and Shamrock Rovers.
The opening round of the GAA Championship is at least at a regional stage which should lessen the travel impact, but Wicklow’s journey to Donegal and Kerry’s to Meath in the Christy Ring Cup will be challenging for players, officials and fans on Sunday.
The Lidl National League Final covers three of the hardest hit cities with Cork and Galway meeting in the Divisioon One Final at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Saturday evening.
The two Division One Finals in the Centra Camogie League will bring Clare, Dublin, Waterford and Galway to UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny, for some cutting across the worst of the traffic disruptions.
The Basketball Ireland Domino’s League Finals are all scheduled for the National Arena, just off the M50 which has been closed at different times during the past three days with teams travelling from across the country.
Ulster are at home in the European Challenge Cup this evening, and Leinster in the Champions Cup at home to Sale Sharks in the Aviva tomorrow evening.
The National Swimming Championships continue through the weekend in Bangor, County Down, while there is horse racing over the weekend at Dundalk, Wexford, Bellewstown, Down Royal and Leopardstown and a full programme of Greyhound Racing Fixtures up and down the country.
The government has spent millions of taxpayer money already on fuel meaures to try lessen the impact of the global affairs that have caused the price hikes, and they remain in dialogue with the democratic organisation of the Road Haulage Association and the Irish Farmers Association.
The proteste that have disrupted everyday life in many different ways have grown organically, and while the simple plea that they only want the government to meet them sounds easy, the question of who, with what authority, what demands and what likelhihood of being accepted by all the different drivers blocking the motorways remains vague.
There is some confusion, hardly surprising, among some protesters claiming they have been invited to talks today and some easing of the blockades this morning, which may or may not eb a good thing.
A temporary easing of excise duties would effectively be a zero sum game given that the base cost is so much higher now than it was when they were last reviewed but heels seem to be dug in on all sides now and it could yet be a challenging weekend, or then again, the protesters might just decide they have made their point, some give might come on excise and it all clears.
The challenges we face are logistical and economic and in a very different place to those being felt by innocent citizens of Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, and indeed Israel, despite the actions of their Governments.
Image Credit:RTÉ
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