Leinster final attendance drops significantly from 2017 final

Dublin cruised to a record eighth consecutive Leinster final win on Sunday with a 1-25 to 0-10 win over Laois at Croke Park.

The defending All-Ireland champions won their 57th provincial championship and their 13th title from the last 14 finals but the victory came in front of just 41,728 people, making the 2018 final the second worst attended Leinster final of the last decade. The 80,112 fans that watched Dublin defeat Wexford in the 2008 Leinster final remains the best attended final of the decade with the 2018 final down 47.9% from that mark. Furthermore, the 2018 final was also down 37.5% from the 66,734 supporters that attended the 2017 Leinster final between Dublin and Kildare. Interestingly, 81,394 fans turned up to Croke Park the last time Dublin played Laois in a Leinster final in 2007 when 1-6 from Mark Vaughan lifted Dublin to a 3-14 to 1-14 win. Final attendances by year 2008 - 80,112 2009 - 74,573 2010 - 48, 875 2011 - 43, 983 2012 - 69,657 2013 - 54,485 2014 - 62,660 2015 - 47,480 2016 - 38, 885 2017 - 66,734 2018 - 41,728 Dublin will now face Donegal in the opening round of the Super 8 series next month on July 14 or 15 and Jacks manager Jim Gavin has said that he feels some degree of sympathy for those on the outside looking in next month.

"There will be fantastic games, that's for sure," said Gavin. "On the broad concept of it, there's eight teams that'll qualify for it - on the isle there's probably 24 other teams looking in going, 'That's a nice party, it would be nice to be part of it. "But we're just delighted to qualify, that's all we can do. You'll have eight really good strong teams and there will be some great games, I'm sure."