Sir, – The Garth Brooks debacle is reminiscent of the Celtic Tiger mantra, build first then apply for retention. All that is lacking is friends in high places. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN HODKINSON,
Brook Road,
Reboge,
Limerick.
Sir, – Have we learned nothing from recent Irish history? A small group of people with a great deal to gain financially flout the regulations, create an artificial market for an unreal commodity, and draw in substantial amounts of money based on nothing but a dream. Then, when the public officers whose job it is to enforce the regulations actually stand up to them, the same power group uses threats of great financial loss to blackmail the wider community into accepting its scheme.
In the meantime, the rights of a small local community and all the regulations they agreed to are left in the dust.– Yours, etc,
G FITZGIBBON,
Connaught Avenue,
Cork.
Sir, – Promoter Peter Aiken has ruled out moving the Garth Brooks concerts to another venue for logistical reasons – “the show is specific to Croke Park” (“Aiken ‘hopes to avoid court’ over refusal of Garth Brooks concerts”, July 5th).
In July last year, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played Thomond Park on the 16th, moved on to Pairc Uí Chaoimh on the 18th, then Belfast on the 20th, finishing up with two concerts in Kilkenny on the 27th/28th. Are Garth’s trucks not as big as Bruce’s? – Yours, etc,
JOHN O’BYRNE,
Mount Argus Court,
Harold’s Cross,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – Reading some of the coverage concerning “the concert” over the past week, one might be forgiven for thinking that Dublin City Council had denied 160,000 people life-saving medical treatment, such was the outrage.
The politicians demanding action have obviously spare time to spend on this issue, having finally secured a permanent peace in the North, paid off the national debt, sorted the economy and health service and stopped the flow of emigration. – Yours, etc,
CÍAN CARLIN,
Priory Road,
London.
Sir, – In the event that five concerts go ahead at Croke Park, the phrase “subject to licence” will have achieved the same vacuous status as “regulated by the Central Bank”. In the event that three go ahead, it will be interesting to see what status the phrase “terms and conditions apply” acquires. – Yours, etc,
DERMOT
SHINNERS-KENNEDY,
Ballysimon,
Limerick.
Sir, – Judging by the smug and dismissive attitude towards the Garth Brooks concerts debacle by some letter writers, I would love to read their righteous outrage if it was five Leonard Cohen concerts! – Yours, etc,
KEITH NOLAN,
Caldra House,
Caldragh,
Carrick-on-Shannon,
Co Leitrim.
Sir, – It’s good to see people get incensed over something, finally, even if it is only Garth Brooks. – Yours, etc,
NIAMH BYRNE,
Richmond Road,
Fairview,
Dublin 3.