BROOK WHO’S BACK!
Seven years after breaking our hearts, Garth in talks for a return to Croke Park
GARTH Brooks is set to return to Ireland next autumn – nearly a decade after breaking fans’ hearts in the five-in-a-row fiasco.
The country legend is in talks to headline three shows in Croke Park in September 2022.
A well-placed source confirmed to the Irish Mirror last night: “It’s 100% true. The final talks are in place to make it happen next year.”
Music broadcaster Pat Carty said yesterday there may be a handful of gigs planned.
He added: “The rumour is there that Garth Brooks is going to appear in Croke Park for three dates next September and there is the possibility of a
second weekend – so more gigs to come. In 2014, you had the five-in-a-row fiasco.
“What happened was they booked the five dates and sold the tickets – you are talking about 400,000 tickets and people queuing up overnight for it – and then Dublin City Council came in and said, ‘Listen we’ve only given you a licence for three dates’.
“Garth Brooks himself said, ‘Listen, I am either doing the five or none at all’.
“There were protests, there were Oireachtas hearings, there were people pulling their hair out on the street, all that kind of thing, but they didn’t go ahead, as we know, so this would be the big return of Garth Brooks.”
Mr Carty said country music has always had a special place in Ireland, telling Newstalk: “We’re talking about everything from country and Irish with Daniel O’donnell up to Garth Brooks – it is just music people love, it is as simple as that.
“But if you look at Garth Brooks, he is doing some dates in America and they sold 86,000 tickets for a gig in Nebraska in 75 minutes.
“He is the only artist in history in America that has nine albums that have been classified diamond status – and that is 10 million-plus sales of each album.”
Earlier this year, news broke that the Friends In Low Places hitmaker was one of the four potential acts being lined up for the two massive outdoor gigs in May of next year.
Aiken Promotions are running the two shows on April 23 and April 24 and they are the Irish agents for Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran and Brooks.
It’s understood that instead of the April dates, Brooks will play three nights in September in the GAA headquarters.
No official comment has been made by Aiken Promotions, Croke Park and Dublin County Council.
Brooks last played Ireland in 1997.