Music
24 Jul 24

On this day in 1982: The Rolling Stones played Slane

Credit: Colm Henry

On July 24, 1982, 70,000 fans descended upon the Boyne Valley in Co. Meath to see the Rolling Stones play Slane Castle. The second of the iconic Slane concerts, following Thin Lizzy the year before, the day also featured performances from The J. Geils Band, The Chieftains, and George Thorogood and the Destroyers. To mark the occasion, here's both Fiachna Ó Braonáin and Alex Conyngham's memories from the gig...

Fiachna Ó Braonáin

Musician/broadcaster

"The stand out Slane, for me, was the Rolling Stones in 1982. I was 16 at the time, a Stones superfan, and I went down very early in the morning to make sure I was up the front. It was the 7am bus because, back then, there was no such thing as premium tickets.

"The Chieftains were the first band on – what a brilliant start. They were followed by George Thorogood & The Destroyers, who’s a great blues guitar player; and then The J. Geils Band.

"Bill Wyman was still in the band at the time, and they began their set with ‘Under My Thumb’. I had a Marlboro in my mouth because I knew Keith smoked Marlboro – these are the things that are important when you’re young! I went with a friend, a pal of mine from France who was over for the summer. We had our rucksacks, with just a bottle of water and a sandwich between us. We ended up staying there the whole day, not moving at all. It was super exciting."

Hot Press Vol 6 No 13 - July 30th-August 12th, 1982

Alex Conyngham

Slane Whiskey co-founder, son of Henry Mountcharles

“The Stones’ first Slane was in 1982, but Mick had actually visited a few years earlier. My dad got a call from my grandfather, saying, ‘I’ve got someone coming to dinner. I think he’s called Michael Jogger...’ Dad was like, ‘Do you mean Mick Jagger?’ and sure enough it was! He and dad hit it off straight away.

"I remember as a kid watching the ’82 show from the balcony of the house and nearly killing myself trying to catch one of the balloons that were released at the end! A few people thought, ‘Can they conjure up the same magic again?’ when the Stones returned in 2007, but once again it was a sensational gig.”