Five Croke Park gigs "going ahead" after meeting with local residents

At least five Croke Park gigs are slated to go ahead in 2022 following a meeting between concert organisers, senior Croke Park Stadium management and local residents last night.

The meeting was chaired by Noeline Blackwell, CEO of the Rape Crisis Centre and it took place in the National Handball Centre, in the shadow of Croke Park.

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Blackwell claimed that five concerts are "sanctioned, planned and are going ahead" in the stadium next year. Five concerts are "in the books" already.

Country music superstar Garth Brooks has been granted a licence for three gigs at GAA headquarters next year but the singer has applied for an extra two shows. The Drumcondra stadium will also host two Ed Sheeran concerts in April, bringing the possible total number of shows in 2022 to seven. The usual maximum number of concerts per year is three.

Noeline Blackwell further commented that the meeting, which was attended by over 120 local residents, led to recognition that more work has to be done if the concerts take place.

At the meeting, over 120 residents met with senior management from both Croke Park Stadium and Aiken Promotions to discuss stadium concert plans for 2022.

Croke Park does not need planning for up to three concerts in a year and Blackwell confirmed that an application to Dublin City Council was made and two more concerts have now been sanctioned. A second application to permit two extra concerts to go ahead in September 2022 has also reportedly been lodged with the Council.

"Everyone recognised the serious impact these concerts have on local residents," the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre CEO added, mentioning that there will be an opportunity for residents to come together with the stadium management and promotors to work out a better way forward.

Colm Stephens of the Clonliffe & Croke Park Area Residents' Association has stated that locals will only accept three concerts in any one calendar year. The Residents' Association is appealing to Dublin City Council regarding the concerts, given their power to grant licenses for concerts.

In a statement, Croke Park said: "The meeting ended with a renewed commitment to build on the dialogue of the evening. A special working group in relation to the 2022 concerts in the stadium will be established to continue the direct engagement between Croke Park, Aiken Promotions, other stakeholders and the local community."c

Aiken Promotions added that they "look forward to continuing to engage with the residents in the weeks ahead."