WHEN MEAT LOAF PLAYED CONNA CASTLE
About midnight on June 2nd, 1990, cups and plates in the cupboards of houses in Conna village started to rattle. Earlier that day, thousands of revellers, music lovers and hairy bikers had made their way to a small village in East Cork to visit the legendary Conna Castle Barbeque. On this occasion, it was to witness one Marvin Lee Aday take to the stage - otherwise known as Meat Loaf.
In 1990, his career had come to a stall of sorts, following a decade of success based on 1977’s Bat Out of Hell album, with 44 million copies sold as of 2022. In this lull in his career, as he embarked on a small Irish tour, fans could see the man in action for the princely sum of £10 locally.
The slightly surreal nature of the tour has not been lost, with at least one attendee reporting to TheAvondhu that she sometimes wonders if she dreamt it all. Remembering the late star this week, broadcaster Ray D’Arcy told how he ‘thought I dreamt seeing Meat Loaf in a Community Hall in Carlow.”
No fear, he was definitely here, and Conna residents remember the gig fondly.
Rose Hickey, on the evening, was one person who ultimately played an important part in the success of the evening.
“He had had tea and refreshments in the hall, and at the last minute one of his people asked could he have a shower. So I ran into Tallow - it was just 10-to-6 and the shop was nearly closed - to get towels and I brought back five of them to him so he could have a shower.
“It was an ongoing joke as to who’d get to keep them - but we never saw them again, and the towels went home with him!”
BIG GIGS
Rose’s brother, Pa Barry, was working at the castle, as he did for every single barbecue event in the village from 1969 until 2000.
“It was a big job and there were two of us at it, Noel Caplice and myself, lighting the grounds, and doing all the electrical work for the barbecues. Everyone had their own specific jobs, and I worked on
all of them, from 1969 to 2000,” he informed The Avondhu.
Even though the household name we know today is Meat Loaf, Pa and Rose both recall that it probably wasn’t even the biggest concert Conna saw, and remember that Susan McCann
was a particularly big gig. The Dubliners and Smokie both also played there, with Pa recalling Smokie’s 1989 concert as “probably his favourite”.
REIGNITING HIS PASSION
Local man Tom Finn is proud of the part that Conna played in the resurgence of the rockstar’s success.
“The concert definitely put Conna on the map! For some reason he did a tour of small places in Ireland, and he said afterwards that that’s where he got his passion for rock and roll back.”
“We feel in Conna like we played a part in helping him. People were envious of such small places staging such a big concert. I remember it fondly; the planning was huge, the logistics were crazy with security, the parking, everything. it was huge and it went so well, and there was so much excitement.”
“People were so happy to look back on it years later, and now that he’s passed away it brings all the excitement back. It was probably one of the biggest nights in Conna’s history.”
7UP NEARLY STOPS GIG!
Thief of Hearts, a Cork City band, opened proceedings on the evening, before Meat Loaf came on stage at midnight.
“He came and the place was bursting at the seams. He rolled into Conna with his blacked out windows - it was really something you wouldn’t forget. I remember passing by a speaker, and the sound would nearly knock you down.”
“There was no drink allowed in… but sure you can imagine yourself! The atmosphere was unbelievable. The security were trying to keep the crowds back and it added to the entertainment. At some stage someone threw a half-empty 7up bottle on the stage and he nearly pulled the band off - I don’t know was that part of the act, but it certainly added to it!”
“I think he played Millstreet and Tralee and Westmeath. At the time he was complaining in Ireland that the crowd was very rowdy. Later though he said it gave him back his passion for rock and roll. His concerts in Ireland meant a lot to him, and Conna was a part of that.”
It is hard, today, to imagine letting 4,000 people descend on Conna for a concert, with the star in the hall across the road, and Tom admits that it is improbable that it could ever happen again.
“It was of its time, you couldn’t hold something like that now again, but it was great back then.”
AVONDHU REPORT
The following is the report that appeared in The Avondhu following the concert on Thursday, June 7th 1990:
‘The long awaited concert finally arrived when last weekend saw Con na play host to the very popular man of Rock‘n’ Roll, Meatloaf (sic).
Crowds flooded into Conna from 7 o’clock onwards. They come in bus load sand car loads to see Mr. Meatloaf in action. There was plenty of space allocated for cars to park. There was also a strong force of Gardai to keep a watchful eye on the proceedings.
Playing back-up to Meat Loaf in Conna on Saturday night last were Cork band‘ Thief of Hearts ’. They put on a power packed show with good lighting for their time on stage and really got the crowd in the mood for plenty more of the same.
Meat Loaf and his band The Neverland Express were introduced to the stage at approximately 12.30 pm, and the crowd went wild with delight.
Everyone moved closer and closer to the stage to get the best views possible. People even climbed what trees they could for their birds eye view. As the stage was about 30 feet off the ground( incident ally, it was the same stage that the Bolshoi Ballet performed on) those who were up at the very front couldn’t see a thing. You would have had to been back at least 20 feet to get any view at all.
Eventually he played his long a waited hit single‘ Bat Out Of Hell’ and the crowd went wild, those who were sitting down got to their feet and the place erupted with noise. This was followed with‘ Two Out Of Three Ain’ t Bad’ and ‘Dead Ringer For Love ’.
Meat Loaf also played some numbers which included the classic ‘Johnny Be Good’. The show finished at about 2pm Sunday morning and the weary crowds drifted their own ways.
The numbers were estimated at some when between 3,500 and 4,000
people for the night .’