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WHILE THE THUNDER rolls for the promoters of the Garth Brooks concerts, some Irish venues are doing the maths to see if they could host the final two gigs.
Fans of the country comeback star were horrified this morning to learn that Dublin City Council had refused permission for the Monday and Tuesday, 28 and 29 July, concerts to go ahead at Croke Park.
Aiken Promotions had publicised and sold out those two gigs – along with the three that will go ahead on the previous Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Contacted by TheJournal.ie this afternoon, Aiken Promotions staff were “in a meeting” but already the possibility of the gigs being switched to Slane was shot down by its owner Henry Mountcharles.
Slane?
He said “unequivocally, there will not be a show at Slane this year”. This is a blow to Brooks fans who might have hoped that the 80,000-capacity Slane venue could have been the answer. Croke Park has a similar capacity of just over 82,000.
Aviva?
The Aviva stadium in Dublin’s Ballsbridge has a lower capacity than Croker – at 50,000. As our commenter Chris Mansfield notes below, a standing gig at Aviva would host more people, but with maximum capacity of 65,000, it would still leave a lot of Garth fans disappointed.
The other issue with the Aviva is that MCD – rival music promoters to Aiken Promotions – tends to have performing rights there, and that would have to be negotiated carefully.
Punchestown?
Now, Punchestown racecourse has suggested that they might step in. Or at least, they are willing to – but fear it might be too late. They have just sent out a statement which reads:
In light of this morning’s events regarding the cancellation of Garth Brooks concerts Punchestown racecourse have released the following statement (italics are TheJournal.ie’s):
Punchestown racecourse and venue would be delighted to accommodate the cancelled Garth Brooks concerts and facilitate the disappointed fans. As a venue, Punchestown has run dozens of very successful concerts over the last number of years and is recognised as one of Europe’s finest concert venues.The local statutory authorities and stakeholders are extremely supportive of concerts at Punchestown and it is estimated that two such events would generate €15 million for the local economy.Unfortunately there are a number of logistical and legal issues outside Punchestown’s control that would be very difficult to resolve in the short term. That said we are available to do everything possible to accommodate the disappointed Garth Brooks fans.
Páirc Úi Chaoimh?
The GAA are not ruling out the availability of their major Cork venue according to this Examiner journalist:
After all, Bruce Springsteen played there in July last year, right?
However, that stadium has a capacity of just over 43,000 so even if by some miracle the Garth gig rig could be taken down, transferred between Dublin and Cork and reassembled in the space of 15 hours, at least half of the ticketholders would be very disappointed folks. Same goes for Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary, where capacity is closer to the Aviva at 53,000.
The Phoenix Park?
Europe’s largest urban park, the Phoenix Park, has hosted large-scale concerts and events – from the arrival of Pope John Paul II in 1979 to more recent – and sometimes controversial – gigs.
To hold an event here requires an application to the Office of Public Works – and also, the capacity is generally limited to between 2,000 and 10,000 for concerts and other commercial events (see condition #2 here for more information). There is a possibility of the Park holding one large-scale concert a year, at which 50,000 can attend – but that has to be completely FREE of charge to punters.
Killinkere Gaelic Football Club?
Adorable but unlikely. They’ve recently installed a toilet and “there’ll be fields aplenty to abandon cars in”. Read here.
Continue following TheJournal.ie‘s updates here for the latest on the Garth gigs.
Meanwhile….
The solicitor Anthony Fay, who represents some of the Croke Park residents objecting to the continuous run of gigs at the grounds, has claimed that disgruntled fans are now “considering taking action against the promoters for the losses and inconvenience this has caused them”.
TheJournal.ie has contacted Aiken Promotions to ask if they received any such direct complaints from fans. Any response will be added to this article if received.
Better news for train customers
Good on Iarnród Éireann – it has just confirmed that customers who booked rail travel to attend any Garth Brooks concerts which are cancelled will be refunded for their train bookings in full. They say:
Customers who booked with us in good faith expecting concerts to take place will not be left out of pocket.
And puff just like that they are gone
@Mark Dunne: some weeds are notoriously hard to kill?
@brian o’leary: it’s next to impossible to get rid of a Creeping Lilly like Rodders or even a Pot-plant like Eamo
@brian o’leary: Like Japanese Knotweed.
@brian o’leary: bring back glyphosate or paraquat guaranteed to rid us of the pesky Green Party
Goodbye Green Party. Good riddance.
@Social Guy: nope u jumping to concliusios that’s wrong again…
@A W: what is your native language?
@Finian McG: I don’t think English is AW’s first language, or second or third!
@Finian McG: Most Irish can’t even use it properly so it’s definitely not a big issue.
With a four day week, won’t every weekend be a Bank Holiday ?
@brian o’leary: nope. Some people will have to take , Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday off to enable the company open 5 days but allow 4 day working week for staff
@Ger Whelan: I guess, but sometimes they’ll be able to take a Monday or a Friday and have more 3 day weekends? Personally, I’d prefer to work the 5 days and have an extra days holidays.
@brian o’leary: So far the few companies I have seen switch to the 4 day week have done so that you get the same 3 days off every week. The staff with service got the first pick of what day they wanted off.
@brian o’leary: no you work Friday to Monday every week didnt you realise that
Great, another citizens assembly. That’s what we elect a parliament for, to make a decision. Not to put another one in place
@Tom O’ Donnell: *another parliament*
Greens clinging to power ☝️
@Darragh Mcnamara: using our money (tax) cling to power
Ah c’mon, it’s crazy now……… I’m holding out for 2 weeks all inclusive in lanzarote!!!! That’s it……. a fortnight lanzarote = #1,#2AND #3 on the piece of paper nov29th
@Frank Mc Carthy: yea, we know – you’ve been making the same “joke” for 3 days now. Oh and btw, you do know that the 4 day week proposal doesn’t actually suggest a cut in working hours….?
@Kevin Kerr: hey brenny, so I made a joke about something the ( soon to be extinct hopefully) greenies only came up with today??? You want the lotto numbers for weds night, lol
@Frank Mc Carthy: you do know thats brenny’s account??
@Frank/Kevvy: You made the same ‘joke’ on an SF post yesterday. My sides almost split from the laughter. If you could take an extended break somewhere with no Internet, these comments sections would improve immeasurably.
Everyone knows that you’re the person with a couple of dozen accounts at least.
@Brendan O’Brien: I hope you sued that movie ‘SPLIT’!!! It’s despicable what you & all your accounts, kevin kerrr, chutes, d peader etc etc have done to this once great site!!! Pathetic & sad
@Frank Mc Carthy: A Trump super fam hatrs the Greens. What a shock. You hate Science, modernity, people with too much melanin, anyone with a wierd religion, anyone not straight….. Standard right wing stuff
@FoxyBoiiYT: & just DONT get me started about multi account juvenile trolls!!! LOL
@Kevin Kerr: funny , more working hours , imagine the county council slobs staying an extra 2 hours a day. Funny…
I don’t want a 4-day week, I want to be able to commute from Navan but for it to not take four hours each day, sort out the public transport!
@Fiona Wyse: Good for you.
@Fiona Wyse: would a 4 day week not cut your weekly commute time by 20%?
@Fiona Wyse: capitalistic bootlicker
@brian o’leary: I think she means sort out public transport BEFORE the mystical 4 day week. Public transport always left as a non runner. Especially on the Northside of Dublin.
@Fiona Wyse: are they still on for opening the old rail line or did they abandon that after the motorway was built?
@brian o’leary: ah shure, why not get a public service desk job and work from home 3days from 5?
And have annual pay reviews through Public Service Agreements built into the State Budgets.
Not to miss out on inflation proofed pensions as well.
You must be screwed up to commute 5 days weekly.
Like me, I commuted up to 3hrs across Dublin 5 & 6 days, sometumes 7, for most of my workng life, only for the desk jockeys to levy my pension to keep themselves secure.
Get sense man.
@Alex Kane: we have a special name for leeches like you
@brian o’leary: well you have to make the time up somehow, I’m quite happy with how long my working day is already (8 hours) and with severe back and neck pain the less time I spend sitting at a desk every day the better! I don’t know about you but some people actually like to do nice activities for themselves in the evening time! It’s not right having to get up at 4:30 a.m. to get into the office for 7.15am but that’s what commuter life is like in Navan. It’s worse again if you start at 9:00 a.m. you can’t even get on a bus they just fly past you.
@Alex Kane: have a bit of respect I’m probably paying your dole payments. Leech.
@P. V. Aglue: I believe we are going to be proceeding towards consultation stage with the train. I’m only new to Navan (3 years) so I’m full of optimism for it because I haven’t had to wait as long as the locals! It’s the hope that kills you though…..
@Fiona Wyse: Yea, the country is like a prison on the roads rn, regardless of preference
Desperation stakes from the Greens now.On their way to oblivion on Nov. 29th.
@Willie Marty: Have Francis Noel & Catherine come out of hiding yet or are they building the wall to stop people who don’t have any homes, from looking into their kitchen, counting the Lolly. Greens are the party of Hypocrites.
Not forgotten rte 750mill pay off turdby etc should be impartial etc
But no council houses near any of their high profile members ,nooooo…
Another crackpot idea from labour I’m sure all buisness will be thrilled
@Sheila McNulty: sorry was supposed to be Greens
@Sheila McNulty: do, we need tax fat cats or keep croling wat u thing…
FG article no comments active hmmm???
The Greens are on the wrong track on this program. Extended hols not justified, as it reduces public services productivity, which benefits most, & increases general economic activity costs, with no productivity boost.
When will political wanabees listen to the O’Learys, who know how to run business, and their own Economists?
This is an escaping Celtic Elephant trampling on the stability of the economy, a bunch of desparadoes outbidding the others on the same destructive tack.
Hope they are obliterated, them and liebor
@John Meade: I hope things happens to then that I can’t say on here
sure ffg just ignore citizen assemblies.. they implemented none of the citizen assemblies recommendations on disabilities or strategy on drug use…
Nuke them from space. It’s the only way to be sure.
I used to work a three day week and it was brilliant.
Excellent proposals, feck the begrudgers. Green Party only ones brave enough to tackle the climate crisis, everyone else sticking their heads onnthe sand. A poor decision with all the flooding caused by climate change
@FoxyBoiiYT: I think they’ll do okay, saying all the right things, but you know, just not doing them
Nothing can save the Vegan fruitcake party now.
I would rather work 5x 8h than 4x 10h to make up the lost day. 4 day work week might work for some but not all. In many industries it’s not possible that everyone is off at the same time.
@no no no: 5×8 hours? hope thats not breaking stone. Like everything people should be allowed do whatever they want as long as the work is delivered complete and on time. I think that could work in any industry. Certainly billionaire’s don’t care as long as revenue streams aren’t effected.
I’d rather work than see this skum back in
They are getting desperate! Making up stuff now, like child when they know they’re in trouble and finally have to face the headmaster!
have your say