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First published 8 July 5pm
IT’S OFFICIAL: GARTH Brooks WON’T be playing in Croke Park.
Never mind one night, or three nights, he won’t be playing any at all.
The announcement from Aiken Promotions came yesterday afternoon, hours after news broke that Peter Aiken had flown out to the United States to talk to Brooks himself.
So, how did we get to here? Let’s take a look:
Rumours of the country crooner playing Ireland first emerged in late 2013.
Speculation grew this January that an announcement from Aiken Promotions was imminent:
Then the official announcement came that he was to play Croke Park:
Brooks said at the time:
Before we go back on tour in the Fall of 2014, I want to challenge myself, the band, and crew. In ’97, we were lucky enough to play Croke Park, the stadium was under construction. 130,000+ of some of the greatest fans in the world. I was quoted then as saying ‘When this stadium is finished, I would love to come back and try to fill it again…this time to the brink.’…and we’re back to do just that.
It was clear that people hadn’t forgotten about the country star, who was absolutely huge in Ireland during his heyday.
The queuing started days before the tickets went on sale.
As ticket fever grew, and just after 170k tickets went on sale on 30 June, Brooks had another announcement for Ireland:
Brooks sold one ticket for every 25 people in Ireland – in 90 minutes.
Before long, they were going for sale at hugely inflated prices online… and worse.
Then it was announced that Brooks would play a fourth date in Croke Park on July 28.
The amount the GAA was to make from the events was huge.
On 6 February, yet another date at Croke Park was announced – and Ireland kept buying those tickets.
Somewhere along the line, a wax version of Garth Brooks’ torso went missing… and Ireland was in the grip of Garth Brooks mania.
By mid-February, Croke Park residents had gone public on their anger about the gigs at the stadium.
There was hope for a peace deal, and the row cooled down for a time. But soon, a mediator was called in.
Amid threats of legal action, residents said they wanted to talk to Croke Park about more than just Garth Brooks.
A proposed mediation process was described as ‘disappointing’ by residents.
A fake ‘Garth Brooks cancels’ story caught some out, but residents vowed to file an injunction to stop the concerts going ahead.
But it transpired that it wasn’t the residents who stood in the way of the concerts going ahead.
It was the licence for the events.
Here’s why two of the five concerts were refused permission:
The reaction on Twitter was initially one of humour:
[image alt="garth twitter gif" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2014/07/garth-twitter-gif-614x500.gif" width="614" height="500" title="" class="alignnone" /end]
There was speculation about whether the concerts could be saved, and if the remaining concerts would go ahead.
Then Brooks said this:
Some Croke Park residents signed a petition to reinstate all five concerts.
The debacle got international coverage… and Fianna Fáil wrote new legislation to try and get the event back on.
But Dublin City Council said that the decision could not be amended or appealed.
A decision had to be made, and quickly.
Publicans and some residents wanted the five concerts to go ahead as work continued to find an amicable solution.
Questions were asked about what impact the situation would have on Ireland’s international reputation.
The pressure was growing.
(And somewhere in amongst the drama, Gerry Adams found time to belt out a tune.)
DailyEdge.ie / SoundCloud
Dublin City Councillors voted in favour of all five concerts going ahead, but the city manager wasn’t showing signs of budging.
Dublin’s Lord Mayor called for a revision of the current planning laws.
Peter Aiken flew to the US for ‘crisis talks’ with Brooks.
Then came the final word.
After speculation, elation, and then more speculation, Garth pulled the plug on the gig.
Tomorrow may indeed never come, but that hasn’t stopped people finding a little humour in the situation…
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Nice to live long but only in good health…..People are living now typically into their 90′s but often the last decade is in bad heath and house bound….
@John003:
Bad diet and too much alcohol.
No moderation in things anymore.
@Niccolo Saccho: or just dementia quite often. Most older people have eaten quite healthy as the range of crap around today simply didn’t exist back when they were younger. Convenience food etc didn’t exist. You just eat your meat veg and potatoes
Isn’t it crazy to think that the entire world’s population has been replaced since he was born. Imagine knowing that there isn’t a single person still living on this planet, who was around when you were born.
And as for the experiences he has had, the things he has lived through, and seen from 1900s til now. What a guy! RIP.
Apparently his mother and father are heartbroken.
If only we could all live that long…..
@The Dublinist: Only if you are fit and have your own mind. Dreadful otherwise.
@The Dublinist: I don’t think I could handle your comments for that length of time…..
@Peadar Ó Gréacháin: Thanks very much.
@The Dublinist: the government wouldn’t want the pension bill
He had a good innings all the same.. (never understood that comment)
@Maggie O’Connor: Cricket!!
@Maggie O’Connor: Still cricket…
The Spanish would do anything for a day off. The most work shy Western Europeans.
@Fabio Dillon: and the longest living; there may be something in that too..
@Fabio Dillon: Only fools and horses work.
Man not well
@Philip Farrelly: he’s not not well he’s dead.
Now that was witty Phil..
Was it Billy Connolly who said something along the lines of, “They say jogging every day adds an extra 10 years to your life, what they don’t say is the extra 10 years come when you’re stuck in a bed and pi**ing yourself”?
Every oldest person must be cursed with bad luck – they never hold the title for long
Was his passing sudden?
have your say