When does a crisis officially become a saga?
Dublin City Council have released a statement this evening as a result of talks between its chief executive Owen Keegan and Peter Aiken, promoter of the axed Garth Brooks shows at Croke Park.
DCC have greenlit five concerts to take place over three days – between Friday 25th and Sunday 27th July – including two matinée shows at the weekend.
It will now be left to Aiken Promotions and Brooks himself to decide whether or not to go ahead with the shows although, according to Irish Times Washington correspondent Simon Carswell, Brooks is not thought to be in favour of matinée shows.
Breaking: Garth Brooks has ruled out possibility of matinee shows to replace two of five shows at Croke Park in response to compromise deal
— Simon Carswell (@SiCarswell) July 10, 2014
Brooks on matinees: “Sticking 160,000 people out in the middle of the day… I don’t wanna give them a half-assed show”
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) July 10, 2014
The full Dublin City Council statement:
‘Dublin City Council granted an Event Licence in respect of three Garth Brooks concerts to be held on Friday 25 July, Saturday 26 July and Sunday 27 July 2014.
‘A condition of the Licence requires that an updated Event Management Plan be submitted by the promoter, which outlines any required changes associated with the granting of the three concerts under the Licence, including an updated production and works schedule. The updated Plan must be approved by the City Council.
‘Following a meeting this morning between Peter Aiken of Aiken Promotions and Owen Keegan, Chief Executive of Dublin City Council, the City Council has agreed to a proposal from Aiken Promotions designed to break the impasse that has arisen.
‘Under the proposal the City Council will consider an updated Event Management Plan, to be submitted in accordance with the Licence, whereby the three concerts will proceed but the Saturday and Sunday concerts will start earlier to facilitate separate matinee audiences on these two days. This will allow everybody who bought a ticket to see Garth Brooks.
‘The Council is satisfied that the event licensing procedure was applied correctly in this particular case by the City Council and that the decision reached was appropriate and balanced having regard to all the competing interests.
‘However, in response to the disappointment of ticket holders who purchased tickets in good faith for the cancelled Monday and Tuesday concerts and in light of concerns that these ticket holders could turn up on the other days creating security and public safety concerns the Council has agreed, following consultation with An Garda Siochana, to consider a revised Event Management Plan prepared on the basis outlined above.
‘It will be a matter for Aiken Promotions and Garth Brooks to decide if they wish to pursue this suggestion.’
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