Garth Brooks: Dublin City Council ‘unable to reopen’ decision on concert licence

Dublin City Council chief executive Owen Keegan has dashed hopes of Garth Brooks fans that all five concerts planned for three weeks time will go ahead.

Eleventh-hour mediation headed by Labour Relations Commission chief executive Kieran Mulvey and Lord Mayor of Dublin Christy Burke were made over the weekend, aimed at facilitating all five concerts.

Dublin City Council last week refused licences for two of the five gigs planned for the stadium. Brooks has said he would perform all five nights in Croke Park or none at all. More than 400,000 tickets have been sold for the concerts.

Efforts over the weekend focused on reaching agreement that the singer would play the three permitted dates on July July 25th, 26th and 27th with the two remaining shows held at a later date, to give residents respite.

However the proposal required the agreement of Mr Keegan to “fast-track” the licence process to allow the two additional events to go ahead.

He said his position had not changed and the question of the council becoming involved in a mediation process to change the licensing decision “decision does not and cannot arise”.

Mr Keegan said he hoped the singer would avail of the licence that has been granted and plays the three permitted shows.

“Of course the city council has sympathy for those ticket holders who purchased tickets for the shows on Monday and Tuesday and would hope that these two shows could be facilitated at some stage in the future.”

He said it was not “legally possible” for the council to reopen the decision to grant a licence or to amend the conditions attaching to that licence.

“In these circumstances the question of the council participating in a mediation process that involves changing the council’s decision does not and cannot arise.”

The council would welcome an opportunity in the future of discussing with all the relevant interests, including the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, changes in the event licensing system including he said “a possible restriction on the sale of tickets in advance of the issue of an event licence”.

Mr Keegan did not address the suggestion that he might “fast track” licences if fresh applications were made for the last two concerts. However he said: “As the licensing authority, Dublin City Council must adhere to the procedures laid down in the relevant legislation.”

The legislation requires that licence applications are made at least 10 weeks prior to an event.