On this day in 1982: The Rolling Stones played Slane

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.”

Rolling Stones at Slane, 1982