Garth Brooks and Croke Park

Sir, – I see that Garth Brooks has insisted that "for us it's five shows or none at all" (Front Page, July 4th). What a load of codology! On January 21st, The Irish Times reported that two Garth Brooks concerts were to be held in Croke Park during the summer and the speed at which these tickets were sold must have delighted the promoters, as well as Brooks. They decided to milk the system by adding concert dates one by one for a total of five concerts, and this prior to a licence being granted.

If Brooks is now refusing to play the three concerts for which a licence has now been granted, he is showing complete disdain for his fans. – Yours, etc,

GEOFF SCARGILL,

Loreto Grange,

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Bray,

Co Wicklow.

Sir, – I have great sympathy for both residents and disappointed fans of the Garth Brooks concerts in Croke Park. Could the GAA offer to pay the local property tax of residents within an agreed radius of the stadium as part of a deal to allow all five concerts to proceed? – Yours, etc,

JOE O’MAHONY,

Clonard Drive,

Sandyford,

Dublin 16.

Sir, – Would it not make sense to allow all five Garth Brooks concerts to go ahead but preclude the GAA from hosting any concerts next year? – Yours, etc,

RORY J WHELAN,

Dublin Road,

Drogheda,

Co Louth.

Sir, – GAA scoring needs revising – three’s a goal but five’s an own goal. – Yours, etc,

DAVID REDDY,

Durham Road,

Dublin 4.

Sir, – A showdown about a hoedown? – Yours, etc,

MICHELE SAVAGE,

Glendale Park,

Dublin 12.

Sir, – I once bought a house whose garden backed on to a railway line. I would have preferred that the line wasn’t there, but it was, and no doubt the price I paid for the house duly reflected the fact. I was annoyed when the frequency of trains using the line subsequently increased, but again, I had known about the line when I’d purchased the house so I didn’t consider I had grounds for complaint. And living near to a railway at least meant I had the potential benefit of an easier commute into work.

There has been a stadium at Croke Park for over a hundred years, and all local residents must have known about it when they moved into its vicinity.

As such, whilst I may sympathise with disruption caused to them by use of the stadium, what did they expect when they moved there?

At least they are receiving some compensation for their inconvenience from concert promoters, which is more than I got from the railway company. And no, I’m not going to any of the concerts. – Yours, etc,

RA BLACKBURN,

Naul,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – Kieran Mulvey thinks the handling of the Garth Brooks concerts in Croke Park is a “debacle ” and brings the country into disrepute (July 4th). You would have thought that any country whose media treated such an event as the second coming has no reputation to lose. – Yours, etc,

EUGENE TANNAM,

Monalea Park,

Firhouse,

Dublin 24.

Sir, – The Croke Park Disagreement? – Yours, etc,

TOM COOPER,

Templeville Road,

Templeogue,

Dublin 6W.

Sir, – The residents would prefer there to be no concerts, but they are prepared to accept three, while the promoters, who originally planned for two, then increased the number to five, without the relevant licence, are now saying that if Brooks cannot have five then he will not do any.

And the general consensus seems to be that the residents are being unreasonable. Go figure! – Yours, etc,

DAVE ROBBIE,

Seafield Crescent,

Booterstown,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – I would ask Garth to play the three shows as approved by Dublin City Council and come back to Dublin early next year to play the remaining two shows. – Yours, etc,

DAMIAN O’REGAN,

Sion Hill,

Blackrock,

Co Dublin.