Irish Cup: 1,000 fans to attend final with spectators to return to sporting events on 24 May
- Published
This year's Irish Cup final will have double the attendance of last season's showpiece
A thousand spectators will be permitted entry to the Irish Cup final on 21 May, as part of a 'learning event' to inform the future return of spectators to large scale venues.
All fans will be tested before and after the event at Glenavon's Mourneview Park.
Then, from 24 May, up to 500 spectators will be able to attend outdoor sporting events in Northern Ireland.
The decision was revealed by the Executive on Thursday.
"The staging of this learning event will provide a valuable opportunity to gather learning which will inform our plans for the safer return of all types of large audience-based events," said First Minister Arlene Foster.
"This project is all about partnership working, across departments, agencies and with the football community. We have taken a co-design approach to ensure that the event is designed, run and analysed in a way that will identify and reduce risks for participants."
Fans have been absent from stadia across Northern Ireland in 2021, while only limited numbers were allowed in at points during 2020.
This year's Irish Cup attendance will be the joint-largest sporting capacity since the first lockdown was ordered in March 2020, and double that of last season when 500 spectators were allowed inside Windsor Park.
The indicative date of 24 May for the return of up to 500 fans at outdoor sporting events opens the door to the potential of a crowd at Ulster Rugby's final home game of the season, against Scarlets on 29 May.
Ulster GAA has yet to indicate if it has any plans to allow spectators into Ulster Senior Football Championship games, with the competition set to begin on 27 June.