Cork GAA confirm Páirc Uí Chaoimh is available to host Garth Brooks concerts – Murphy

Fine Gael Cork North Central TD, Dara Murphy, has said that he has been in touch with the GAA in Cork, who have confirmed that Páirc Uí Chaoimh is available to host the Garth Brooks concerts which have been cancelled in Dublin after Dublin City Council refused to grant licences for two out of the five planned gigs.

“We need to come up with a realistic solution for the thousands of fans who will be left disappointed, discommoded and out of pocket as a result of the decision by Dublin City Council to refuse licences for two of the five concerts planned for Croke Park.

“I have been in touch with the GAA in Cork, and the General Secretary, Frank Murphy, has confirmed to me that Páirc Uí Chaoimh is available on the nights in question; the 28^th and 29^th of this month. Thousands of people will have made arrangements to travel to the concerts; in many cases they may be coming from abroad with hotels booked and flights paid for. An alternative venue must be found.

“I believe that the General Secretary has contacted the promoters, Aiken, and I am now calling on both parties to work with Cork City Council to see if a solution can be found. While it may not be possible to accommodate everybody, the vast majority of ticket holders for the cancelled concerts could be accommodated by holding the gigs over two or three nights in Cork.

“It is worth noting that Páirc Uí Chaoimh is not in a residential area. Furthermore, if Dublin City Council have refused the licences because it says it cannot accommodate the associated traffic and congestion, then it would make absolutely no sense to simply move the gigs to another venue in Dublin city.

“If these concerts are simply cancelled with no alternative venue put in place, tens of thousands of fans will be sorely disappointed, and the economy will lose out to the tune of millions. Cork can provide a workable solution and I hope that sense can prevail.”

ENDS