Dylan comes to the aid of the GAA in Kilkenny

"I'm in the wrong town, I should be in Hollywood," declares Bob Dylan in his recent Oscar-winning song, Things Have Changed.

For Hollywood read Kilkenny, where Dylan is set to play his only Irish concert this year. Nowlan Park, home to the county's hurling team, is the venue for the gig on July 15th.

The promoter, Mr Peter Aiken, says arrangements for the event are likely to be finalised over the next couple of days and tickets, priced at about £35, will go on sale soon.

The Kilkenny GAA board will use its share of the receipts to help fund the purchase of land for new training pitches. If the event is a success it will use the venue for other concerts.

Its chairman, Mr Ned Quinn, admitted he was not a Bob Dylan fan but was looking forward to the event.

"I wouldn't know Bob Dylan if he came walking down the road, I'd be more of a Pa Dillon fan," he said, referring to a Kilkenny hurler of, like Dylan, legendary status.

Up to 20,000 tickets will be on sale for the event. While Mr Aiken says he does not expect demand to match that for the U2 concert at Slane, they are unlikely to gather dust. The 900 tickets for Dylan's performance in Vicar Street, Dublin last September were sold in 60 seconds.

Mr Aiken said he had sent material about Kilkenny to Dylan in Australia, where he is currently on tour, and he expected him to be impressed with the venue.

The Kilkenny GAA board had approached him with the idea, he added, and he had been impressed with how positive the business community had been.