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Cork's Páirc Uí Chaoimh 'delighted to open our gates' to Garth Brooks

Cork's Páirc Uí Chaoimh would be happy to house concerts for Garth Brooks, its commercial direc...
Jack Quann
Jack Quann

14.09 1 Oct 2021


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Cork's Páirc Uí Chaoimh 'delig...

Cork's Páirc Uí Chaoimh 'delighted to open our gates' to Garth Brooks

Jack Quann
Jack Quann

14.09 1 Oct 2021


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Cork's Páirc Uí Chaoimh would be happy to house concerts for Garth Brooks, its commercial director says.

It comes amid continuing debate over the US country singer's plan for five gigs at Dublin's Croke Park next year.

Croke Park bosses have promised the seven concerts scheduled - two with Ed Sheeran, in addition to the five with Brooks - are a one-off and will not be repeated in future years.

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While one resident earlier told Newstalk the compromise of three concerts in one year should remain.

Colm Stephens, from the Clonliffe & Croke Park Area Residents' Association, said the residents will do all they can to accommodate concerts - as long as numbers are limited.

"So what people expected, and what the residents say is the reasonable compromise - and the compromise that we have made - is that three concerts in one year is an acceptable level of disruption.

"And we will bend over backwards and cooperate with Croke Park with all the arrangements... once it's limited to three in any one year", he said.

Sinead O'Keeffe is the commercial director of Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

She told Lunchtime Live they should be seen as an addition and alternative to Dublin.

"We'd be delighted to open our gates in Páirc Uí Chaoimh to additional concerts, additional events - and welcome artists such as Garth Brooks and many others to the southern region.

"I do remember back in previous years the thoughts of going to Dublin is very exciting and we all love doing so.

"But we would love to have the opportunity to welcome artists and to stay at home, and go out for the night ourselves and celebrate in our local area."

And she notes that the boost is "huge" to any local economy.

"We're ready and waiting, I can tell you that much", she adds.

She says they have yet to have such conversations, but are always willing to have them.

"You always have to have the conversation... if you're not having the conversation, then we'll never have the opportunity".

Kenneth Fox, chairperson of Pearse Stadium Committee in Galway, also says it would depend on the situation.

"You do have to think about infrastructure - our capacity for Ed Sheeran was about 35,000 a night.

"That's kind of where our limit was, and there was quite a bit of infrastructure that had to be put in to take those gigs."

But he says they did not have traffic issues: "In fact, car parking was under-used because people came to the city for the weekend.

"A lot of local people employed, security, even the clean-ups and all of that."

Páirc Uí Chaoimh has a capacity of 45,000, and Pearse Stadium can take 34,000 people.

While Dublin's Croke Park has a capacity for more than 82,000.

Cork's Páirc Uí Chaoimh 'delighted to open our gates' to Garth Brooks

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Main image: Cork's Páirc Ui Chaoimh stadium is seen in July 2017. Picture by: Mounroe/Alamy Stock Photo

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Croke Park Garth Brooks Garth Brooks Concerts Kenneth Fox Pairc Ui Chaoimh Pearse Stadium Sinead O'Keeffe

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