Garth Brooks Irish Saga

The cancellation of the Garth Brooks concerts scheduled for Croke Park, Dublin, at the end of July created a big controversy in Ireland and in other places. Originally, three concerts were quickly sold out to 240,000 patrons but, as demand for tickets increased, it was decided to add a fourth concert, and later a fifth one. However, all the tickets were sold subject to licences from Dublin City Council. Croke Park has planning permission for three concerts a year, but these were held earlier in the year. Consequently, all five Garth Brooks concerts were subject to planning permission.

After the planning request was submitted, some local residents around the stadium objected to the holding of five consecutive night-time concerts, which was stated to be an over-intensification of the use of the stadium. Some of the signatures were later shown to be forged. After the statutory period for lodging objections, permission was given for three concerts only. A prompt statement on behalf of Garth Brooks stated that he would play five concerts or none. This statement was not helpful as it was seen as a challenge to the decision. The Dublin City Manager stated that his decision could not be changed as it was taken under the planning legislation. The American country and music singer and songwriter kept insisting on five concerts or none. There was consternation about the decision of Dublin City Council, disbelief by Garth Brooks, annoyance from the 400,000 who had purchased tickets and protests on behalf of local businesses.

After gallant efforts by many people to find a solution, the impasse was not resolved, and on Monday July 14, all five concerts were cancelled. The recriminations were quick to follow, with 400,000 disappointed fans, some of whom were travelling from overseas, a huge loss to several businesses and people taking part-time jobs, as well as considerable reputational damage to the country. While everyone accepts that the legitimate concerns of local residents around Croke Park have to be fully considered and taken into consideration, many feel that far too much weight was given to the objections. The one big lesson from the fiasco is that the Irish licensing legislation has to be changed to ensure the henceforth tickets are not sold subject to licence and that a proper appeals process is put in place.

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