Bringing a toddler to Semple Stadium

fricatus

Our little fella is 19 months old and has already been to a hurling match, but it was a club game and we were able to sit in an area a little bit away on our own, and let him run around in an empty row.

We're planning on bringing him to Waterford v Cork this Sunday in Thurles. However the seating is allocated, and while the stadium should only be half full, the crowds will be a lot bigger. Also, we will almost certainly have to bring him in the buggy as the walk from the car park would be too much for him.

Has anyone got any experience of this? Any tips? Can we get tickets for some sort of family area where we might be able to stow the buggy, etc? Or are we completely cracked to be even thinking it?

Mods: the parenting forum might have been more appropriate, but I'm specifically interested in Semple Stadium, which is why I posted in GAA.

Xenophile

fricatus wrote: »

Our little fella is 19 months old and has already been to a hurling match, but it was a club game and we were able to sit in an area a little bit away on our own, and let him run around in an empty row.

We're planning on bringing him to Waterford v Cork this Sunday in Thurles. However the seating is allocated, and while the stadium should only be half full, the crowds will be a lot bigger. Also, we will almost certainly have to bring him in the buggy as the walk from the car park would be too much for him.

Has anyone got any experience of this? Any tips? Can we get tickets for some sort of family area where we might be able to stow the buggy, etc? Or are we completely cracked to be even thinking it?

Mods: the parenting forum might have been more appropriate, but I'm specifically interested in Semple Stadium, which is why I posted in GAA.

Contact the GAA shop in Thurles Town or get in touch with the acting Tipperary GAA , PRO.

Contact Lar na Pairce GAA in Thurles: the contact information (telephone number
, ... Slievenamon Rd Thurles Co. Tipperary. (0504)23579.

Ask for the phone number of Ed Donnelly he is the acting PRO

byhookorbycrook

Where do you plan to park?

fricatus

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Where do you plan to park?

We normally park in the Durlas Óg ground, I think it's called. It's the one down a little laneway next to Lidl.

Mr. Incognito

I never brought my son to matches until he was old enough to sit through it.

19 months is way too young IMO. What if he needs a change or gets agitated by the noise.

Bad idea imo.

ProudDUB

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

I never brought my son to matches until he was old enough to sit through it.

19 months is way too young IMO. What if he needs a change or gets agitated by the noise.

Bad idea imo.

There are headphones knocking around that are made specifically for small children. I've seen toddlers wearing them at music festivals. They may be worth an investment if the OP is planning on bringing the wee chisler to a lot of games.

fricatus

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

I never brought my son to matches until he was old enough to sit through it.

19 months is way too young IMO. What if he needs a change or gets agitated by the noise.

Bad idea imo.

Good points - it all helps us come to a decision. The noise won't bother him though - he'll just join in. He's happiest when there's a racket!

Lemlin

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

I never brought my son to matches until he was old enough to sit through it.

19 months is way too young IMO. What if he needs a change or gets agitated by the noise.

Bad idea imo.

My son's first game in Breffni was the qualifier vs Wicklow in June 2010. He would have only been 9 months old and it was no problem at all.

He's attended plenty of games since. Last year he sat in Croke Park, not yet aged four, for the duration of three matches when Cavan-London, Galway-Cork and Meath-Tyrone played. He's regularly attended double headers.

One thing I would recommend is ear muffs just in case a child is frightened by noise. We had to move in Croke Park one day because an idiot from Wexford, who clearly wasn't the full shilling to put it mildly, was scaring my son and a number of other older children also.

fricatus

Lemlin wrote: »

We had to move in Croke Park one day because an idiot from Wexford, who clearly wasn't the full shilling to put it mildly, was scaring my son and a number of other older children also.

Fair point... I'd been thinking about the crowd, but not thinking about the occasional individual!

Lemlin

fricatus wrote: »

Fair point... I'd been thinking about the crowd, but not thinking about the occasional individual!

You never know when you are going to come across a looney. This lad was shouting quite loudly and making plenty of erratic hand gestures.

ProudDUB

Lemlin wrote: »

You never know when you are going to come across a looney. This lad was shouting quite loudly and making plenty of erratic hand gestures.

Why not talk to the stewards or Guards about having him removed, if he won't tone down the verbals & stop scaring the kids? That is what they are there for. The odd nut job exists every where. It wouldn't stop me from bringing kids to a game, especially if I knew there were going to be plenty of people there to sort that kind of thing out. And at inter county games, there generally is.

kksaints

ProudDUB wrote: »

Why not talk to the stewards or Guards about having him removed, if he won't tone down the verbals & stop scaring the kids? That is what they are there for. The odd nut job exists every where. It wouldn't stop me from bringing kids to a game, especially if I knew there were going to be plenty of people there to sort that kind of thing out. And at inter county games, there generally is.

Unless its Racist or Sectarian abuse the stewards or Guards are quite unlikely to remove fans for verbals.

ProudDUB

They are perfectly capable of moving someone along if they are scaring young kids, or gesticulating in a manner that seems threatening. They don't have to kick them out of the stadium, just get them to move. Sometimes a quiet word in the ear is all some aul eggit needs to cop on to how obnoxious they are being.

Lemlin

ProudDUB wrote: »

Why not talk to the stewards or Guards about having him removed, if he won't tone down the verbals & stop scaring the kids? That is what they are there for. The odd nut job exists every where. It wouldn't stop me from bringing kids to a game, especially if I knew there were going to be plenty of people there to sort that kind of thing out. And at inter county games, there generally is.

It was at the Meath Wexford game in Croker last year. I went to a steward and was told I could move because the matches (Dublin Kildare was on after) were not sold out.

The steward said if I had any problems with the new seat I picked (e.g. Someone having the ticket for it), he would find me one. We moved to a quieter location. At no stage did he offer to remove the man despite the fact that he and another steward had been monitoring him.

Some other people had already moved at that stage while others started to give him some verbals. I found that a bit harsh tbh as the man could only be described as of severely limited intelligence.

I'm not sure where you got the opinion that I'd let it stop me bringing my son to a game. Nobody would stop me doing that. I merely suggested ear muffs. I actively encouraged the OP to bring his child to games. My son has been at several games since and will continue to attend games.

Xenophile

Take the advice of the Tipp or your own county Board.

My own view is that you and your family should be treated as VIPs. Half full stadium, plenty of options for sensible parents.

Where else would you want to be on a Sunday at this time in of the year with the sliothar flying through the air on the best hurling turf in the country in the company of your beloved toddler.

Xenophile

fricatus wrote: »

Fair point... I'd been thinking about the crowd, but not thinking about the occasional individual!

As Franklin D Roosevelt said "Nothing to fear but fear itself".

Whatever you do raise your child in confidence it can only help his or her competence.

Clareman

I've a 19 month old and it would be my idea of hell to bring her to a match let alone bring her to a busy championship match, changing facilities alone would be a nightmare.

Slobbery

fricatus wrote: »

Our little fella is 19 months old and has already been to a hurling match, but it was a club game and we were able to sit in an area a little bit away on our own, and let him run around in an empty row.

We're planning on bringing him to Waterford v Cork this Sunday in Thurles. However the seating is allocated, and while the stadium should only be half full, the crowds will be a lot bigger. Also, we will almost certainly have to bring him in the buggy as the walk from the car park would be too much for him.

Has anyone got any experience of this? Any tips? Can we get tickets for some sort of family area where we might be able to stow the buggy, etc? Or are we completely cracked to be even thinking it?

Mods: the parenting forum might have been more appropriate, but I'm specifically interested in Semple Stadium, which is why I posted in GAA.

Was going to bring my own little lad, 16 months but decided against it, if it goes wrong and he is scared or acts up I won't see a minute of the match

fricatus

Thanks all for the helpful comments. Everything went well yesterday, apart from the fact that we didn't capitalise on a 9-point lead...

That's a story for another time though. When it came to deciding whether to bring him, it really came down to whether we wanted to or not. Lár na Páirce were very helpful in giving us an idea of what to expect (had been there many times, but never thinking about how it would work out with a small child). Thanks Xenophile for that!

We thought the walk to and from the car park would be too much for him, but he loved every minute of it (loads of people, buses, other kids with hurleys and sliotars). As for the match itself, he sort of watched it, and joined in with the cheering. We moved from our allocated seats to down the end of the stand, where we had a little row of free seats in front where he was able to move around.

The only thing we didn't figure on was the minute's silence. He screeched during it and I had to do my very best to shush him. He also found something on the ground and ate it :eek: although I think it might have been a bit of his own rice cake. Gotta watch them like hawks! He's still screeching this morning though, so no harm done!

Anyway, if any parents are reading this and wondering whether they should bring their little treasure to a match, I would say yes as long as it's not a sell-out, and expect to watch it from a less-than-ideal section of the ground. It wouldn't have been fair on the people in front of us if he had been doing his wriggling and exploring behind them. And the harness/reins that allow you to keep him on a lead are a godsend!

Xenophile

fricatus wrote: »

Our little fella is 19 months old and has already been to a hurling match, but it was a club game and we were able to sit in an area a little bit away on our own, and let him run around in an empty row.

We're planning on bringing him to Waterford v Cork this Sunday in Thurles. However the seating is allocated, and while the stadium should only be half full, the crowds will be a lot bigger. Also, we will almost certainly have to bring him in the buggy as the walk from the car park would be too much for him.

Just wondering did you bring your toddler to the game, and if you did how was the experience?

fricatus

Xenophile wrote: »

Just wondering did you bring your toddler to the game, and if you did how was the experience?

Did indeed! See above...