Jim Aiken:Jim Aiken, who has died aged 74, was one of Ireland's foremost concert promoters. He was associated with bringing some of the top international music acts to Ireland, including The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Andrea Bocelli, Kylie Minogue, Simon and Garfunkel, Diana Ross and Johnny Cash.
But it was Bruce Springsteen's appearance with the E-Street Band at Slane in 1985 that gave him most satisfaction. "When Springsteen sang Born in the USA with the Boyne behind him - the place packed, a beautiful day, one of the most beautiful places in the world - it was a great feeling to have pulled that off."
Describing him as a man of "absolute integrity", Fr Brian D'Arcy this week said: "He put Ireland on the map, especially at a time during the Troubles when nobody wanted to come here. He went to the homes of the stars in America and convinced them to come to Belfast at a time when the highest number of murders were taking place."
Country music star Charley Pride said: "Jim was a man you couldn't say no to. He and I became special friends . . . when I was in Ireland last November he toured every date with me. Then just after Christmas he was a guest at my 50th wedding anniversary."
Born in 1932 in Jonesboro, Co Armagh, he was one of seven children of Joseph Aiken and his wife Annie (née Fagan). He attended St Patrick's College, Armagh, where he first demonstrated his organisational ability, arranging football and handball tournaments. He also showed himself to be a useful Gaelic footballer and played at minor and senior level for Armagh.
In the meantime, he became a seminarian at St Patrick's College, Maynooth. Four years into his studies, however, he realised that the religious life was not for him. "I enjoyed my time at Maynooth College, but I would not have made a good priest. I would have looked after the bingo and the entertainment for my flock, and not been so good on the spiritual side and getting folk into heaven."
He completed his education at St Joseph's Training College in Belfast, qualifying as a teacher. He went on to teach physics and mathematics at Harding Street, Belfast, for 10 years.
He became involved in showbusiness in order to supplement his modest income. "I was a schoolteacher, I didn't have a lot of money and I wanted a car," he explained. "I'd always had an interest in entertainment, so I started to run dances and look after the odd band."
He had noticed that while showbands like The Clipper Carlton and The Melody Aces were playing to packed houses around the country, they never ventured into Belfast. He decided to put the city on the showband map.
He kicked off with the Royal Showband on New Year's Eve 1959. The night was an outstanding success and his share of the takings was the equivalent of six months' salary as a teacher.
He followed up with weekly dances at the Orpheus Ballroom in York Street, Belfast, and continued at the Boom Boom Rooms in Cornmarket, where both Engelbert Humperdinck and Frankie Vaughan appeared, and at the Floral Hall where the acts included Marty Wilde and Kenny Ball.
He compared his introduction of the Royal Showband to Belfast to Springsteen at Slane. "I never thought it would be as big . . . there are people today who will look back at these as major dates in their lives."
The first international star he brought to Ireland was Tommy Roe, followed by Bill Haley and the Comets. Later concerts featured Tom Jones, Cream, Pink Floyd, Rory Gallagher and Thin Lizzy.
With the outbreak of the Troubles, though, Belfast lost its appeal to international acts. Jim Aiken travelled to Waterloo, Iowa, where Charley Pride was appearing and after much discussion persuaded Pride to agree, with some misgivings, to a Belfast appearance. Pride played the Ritz cinema in Fishwick Place and other well-known acts soon followed.
In the 1980s Jim Aiken turned to organising outdoor concerts. There was nothing new about the use of outdoor venues in Ireland, though his concerts were on a much larger scale than previous ventures.
Slane Castle was an inspired choice as a venue, attracting a succession of major international acts.
He then persuaded the GAA to open Croke Park to rock music, and Neil Diamond led off a memorable series of concerts. Local heroes U2 have always shone there and Garth Brooks put on some spectacular shows.
At Mo Mowlam's request, he organised a sequence of concerts at Stormont, beginning in 1999 with Luciano Pavarotti. The Eagles, Elton John, Michael Flatley and Rod Stewart subsequently appeared at the historic venue.
His one great disappointment was his failure to attract Elvis Presley to Ireland. In the early 1970s he travelled to Las Vegas to persuade the rock legend to sign up for an appearance in Dublin, but Presley's manager Col Tom Parker would have none of it.
Other business interests included broadcasting, and he had substantial shareholdings in FM104 and the Cork-based station Red FM. In addition, he was part of the consortium that brought HMV to Ireland.
An honorary life member of the Royal Dublin Society, he was a former board member of the National Concert Hall, Dublin, and he served on the Northern Ireland Arts Council.
He remained a Gaelic football enthusiast throughout his life and also followed rugby and horseracing.
He is survived by his wife Anne (née McGovern), son Peter, daughters Claire, Susan, Cathy and Joan.
Jim Aiken: born October 4th, 1932; died February 27th, 2007