Fine Gael TD for Kildare South, Martin Heydon, has today (Thursday) welcomed the announcement by Punchestown Racecourse that it would be available to host the two Garth Brooks concerts which have been turned down for a licence by Dublin City Council. The Kildare racecourse has said that it could accommodate the concerts at an alternate date to those currently scheduled.
“I urge Aiken promoters to seriously consider availing of Punchestown’s offer to accommodate these concerts. Punchestown would be an ideal alternative to Croke Park. It is a short bus or car ride from Dublin, is not in a residential area, and it is used to hosting large scale music events.
“Today’s announcement that two Garth Brooks concerts will not be granted a licence to take place in Croke Park means that around 150,000 fans and the Irish economy could lose out significantly.
“Many of these fans are due to arrive from overseas in order to spend money in Ireland. It would be a shame if these concerts could not be staged in an alternative venue. Not only would the fans lose out, so would our hospitality industry.”