Will the Park go Popmart?

WILL they, won't they, play the Park? U2's manager, Paul McGuinness, and the concert's promoter, Jim Aiken, arc sending out optimistic signals about the location of the band's August 30th Dublin gig but there are still serious doubts as to whether they can really leap the hurdles presented by the planning process, writes Paddy Woodworth. It now seems that, if Popmart is to happen on the Papal acres (or elsewhere in the Park, there is no specific venue yet), considerable bureaucratic imagination will have to be exercised. The recent High Court judgment on Slane could not have come at a worse time.

"There is further progress behind the scenes," says McGuinness, "and all parties concerned are being very helpful, especially the Garda. But the reality is that Ireland has become the most difficult place in the world to stage an outdoor concert." The tour kicks off in Las Vegas on April 25th and every date, from Sarajevo to Sao Paulo, is now confirmed - except Dublin.

Jim Clark, from Jim Aiken's office, confirms that they are working on a feasibility study with U2's Principle Management, at the request of the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. "We hope to identify all the issues and deal with them," he says, adding that the other options, like the RDS and Croke Park, "would not facilitate the spectacle involved in the show". He expects the study to be drafted by next week and says that until it is completed, all figures being bandied about, like £1 million in security costs, are speculative. He says that the security tab for the concert itself will be picked up by the promoters, though he agrees there will be additional Garda costs related to the gig, "as there would be for any big public event".

A spokesman for Michael D Higgins's Department (which has absorbed responsibility for the Park from the OPW) says that the Minister "has no objection" to the concert. But he points out that the normal planning process, plus seeking formal Garda permission, would take 12 months. "The mathematics are against them."

The Assistant City Manager responsible for Planning, Owen Keegan, says Dublin Corporation "is generally anxious to promote such concerts, and is conscious of their economic benefits. But we are also sensitive to the concerns of residents, and believe in the planning process."

There is, we understand, one possible quick but legitimate route through that process, though no-one will confirm it is being explored at the moment. This is what is known as a Part to, which would involve bringing the Corporation on board as a local authority promoter for the concert. It would be a matter for the elected councillors to pursue this option.

Whatever the outcome, it's hard to quarrel with Jim Clark's final point: "Outdoor musical events are part of the culture of Europe now and Ireland with its influential bands and young population should be part of this culture." This issue is not going to go away and if it can be sorted out for U2, an important precedent will have been set for the future.