The promoters of this weekend's Madonna concert at Slane yesterday rejected suggestions that ticket sales have been sluggish. Over 95 per cent of the 80,000 tickets have been sold, MCD has said. Meanwhile the recent heavy rains gave a particular urgency to warnings about the dangers of trying to gatecrash via the River Boyne.
The Garda has issued warnings to fans to stay away from the river, which flows by the back of the concert site and is currently in flood.
Slane Castle owner Lord Mountcharles repeated the warning about the dangers of the Boyne. "It is quite a while since it has been this height at this time of year and at any time of the year it is a dangerous and hungry river," he said.
Yesterday MCD responded to rumours that only two thirds of the tickets had sold.
"Ticket sales are going very well and we are on course for a sell-out. Those ticket outlets that were out of stock have had it replenished and we are on course to have 80,000 people here on Sunday," spokesman Mr Justin Green said.
Although some websites have been selling pairs of tickets for €100 - the official retail price is €88.50 per ticket - he said buyers would have to be sure they were getting genuine tickets and the only way to do that was to buy from official ticket agents.
Chief Supt Michael Finnegan said the policing operation, including the traffic management plan, "is the same operation as served us well in recent years for people like Robbie Williams and U2 based on the assumption it will be a sell-out".
From Saturday at 8 p.m. checkpoints and barriers will be erected on all the approach roads into Slane and from 8 a.m. on Sunday the village will be sealed off with diversions in place.
Unlike previous years when the gates opened at noon, this year they are not opening until 4 p.m. and buses and coaches are not due to arrive at the site until just beforehand.
There will be no access to Slane for any vehicles until 3.30 p.m. There will be some 600 gardaí on duty including the drugs and public order units, and on Sunday also the dog, air support and water units.
In a warning to all concert- goers, Supt Finnegan said: "The water unit will be vital this year more than most because the river is in flood. In conjunction with the Irish Coastguard we will have several patrols in place and we would appeal to any patrons not to go near the Boyne."
He also warned that no one without a ticket would get past the outlying checkpoints. At these checkpoints all weapons, bottles and tins will have to be surrendered to gardaí.
MCD will have 700 security personnel working on the day in back-up to gardaí and there will be a special court sitting in Navan throughout Sunday.
SLANE CONCERT: traffic arrangements
Gates do not open until 4 p.m. There is no access to Slane before 3.30 p.m. Gardaí advise concert-goers to approach Slane along the following routes.
Traffic originating in the south and west of the country should head for the M50 and then take the N3 exit to Navan, then the N51 from Navan to Slane.
Traffic approaching from Drogheda should take the main Drogheda to Slane road, which can be accessed via the Mell and Drogheda North roundabouts.
Traffic from Northern Ireland and the Ulster counties should follow the M1 as far as the Dunleer intersection and then onto Collon.
People with impaired ability should approach from Navan via the N51; car parking is available beside the concert site.
Traffic on the N2, the main Dublin-Derry road, unless heading to the concert, will be diverted south of Slane at Kilmoon Cross and north of Slane at Collon, i.e. away from Slane.
Motorists are advised to note the signposts on the approach roads for directions on the best routes. Official car-parks are available for concert traffic in designated areas on the different approach roads but gardaí emphasise that non-concert traffic will not be allowed to approach Slane. This includes traffic taking Derry supporters to Croke Park. They are instead advised to take the link road to the M1 on the northern side of Ardee. Otherwise, they will be diverted towards Drogheda at Collon.
The traffic diversions will be in force from 8 a.m., Sunday, until 3 a.m., Monday.