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| Garth Brooks criticises handling of cancelled Dublin concerts | Garth Brooks criticises handling of cancelled Dublin concerts |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Garth Brooks has criticised the handling of his five concerts in Dublin after they were cancelled earlier this week. | Garth Brooks has criticised the handling of his five concerts in Dublin after they were cancelled earlier this week. |
| Last week, Dublin City Council granted permission for only three concerts in Croke Park. All five were called off on Tuesday. | Last week, Dublin City Council granted permission for only three concerts in Croke Park. All five were called off on Tuesday. |
| Brooks was addressing a news conference in Nashville and said he "didn't have a clue how we got here". | Brooks was addressing a news conference in Nashville and said he "didn't have a clue how we got here". |
| "Don't sell a show to people, get their hopes up and then just cancel." | "Don't sell a show to people, get their hopes up and then just cancel." |
| He said that the "powers who can fix it" should "open it up for the five nights, let everybody have fun and then go to work on never letting it happen again". | He said that the "powers who can fix it" should "open it up for the five nights, let everybody have fun and then go to work on never letting it happen again". |
| The US star added that if Irish prime minister Enda Kenny wanted to speak with him, he would "crawl, swim and fly over". | The US star added that if Irish prime minister Enda Kenny wanted to speak with him, he would "crawl, swim and fly over". |
| He said: "I will drop on my knees and beg for those five nights so people can come." | He said: "I will drop on my knees and beg for those five nights so people can come." |
| A statement from the Irish Parliament (Dáil) said that the transport committee would meet the GAA and Aiken Promotions on Friday at 11:00 BST. | |
| "The committee is hopeful that efforts today to reinstate the five concerts will prove successful," it said. | |
| Earlier, talks about salvaging the US country singer's five Croke Park concerts were called off. | Earlier, talks about salvaging the US country singer's five Croke Park concerts were called off. |
| A mediation meeting had been arranged for 17:00 BST between the Dublin City manager and mayor. | A mediation meeting had been arranged for 17:00 BST between the Dublin City manager and mayor. |
| The meeting was organised after an intervention by the (Taoiseach) Enda Kenny. | |
| The concerts were cancelled on Tuesday, after the council said only three of five proposed concerts could go ahead. | The concerts were cancelled on Tuesday, after the council said only three of five proposed concerts could go ahead. |
| The singer told his promoter he would either perform all five gigs or none, but he would "go to the last second". | The singer told his promoter he would either perform all five gigs or none, but he would "go to the last second". |
| Arrangements for the refunding of 400,000 tickets for the Croke Park concerts were revealed on Wednesday. | Arrangements for the refunding of 400,000 tickets for the Croke Park concerts were revealed on Wednesday. |
| Later that day, a letter from the country music star to Irish concert promoter Peter Aiken was made public. | Later that day, a letter from the country music star to Irish concert promoter Peter Aiken was made public. |
| In it, he wrote: "Our guys are still en route and if there is any chance that the five planned concerts can be salvaged and nobody is being let down then we can proceed as planned until the refunds begin." | In it, he wrote: "Our guys are still en route and if there is any chance that the five planned concerts can be salvaged and nobody is being let down then we can proceed as planned until the refunds begin." |
| Lord Mayor of Dublin Christy Burke, who was due to meet the council's chief executive Owen Keegan on Thursday afternoon, said Mexico's ambassador to Ireland had offered his assistance. | Lord Mayor of Dublin Christy Burke, who was due to meet the council's chief executive Owen Keegan on Thursday afternoon, said Mexico's ambassador to Ireland had offered his assistance. |
| "The Mexican ambassador contacted me yesterday and he offered his services at a diplomatic level if he could be any help," he told Irish broadcaster RTÉ. | "The Mexican ambassador contacted me yesterday and he offered his services at a diplomatic level if he could be any help," he told Irish broadcaster RTÉ. |
| "I had a group of residents from Ballybough who said they intend to call Barack Obama to try to encourage Garth Brooks to play in Dublin." | "I had a group of residents from Ballybough who said they intend to call Barack Obama to try to encourage Garth Brooks to play in Dublin." |
| A parliament committee has called the GAA, Aiken Promotions and Dublin City Council to appear before a hearing aimed at establishing the chain of events that led to the concerts being cancelled. | A parliament committee has called the GAA, Aiken Promotions and Dublin City Council to appear before a hearing aimed at establishing the chain of events that led to the concerts being cancelled. |
| Fine Gael TD John O'Mahony, chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications, said there were strenuous efforts behind the scenes to salvage the concerts. | Fine Gael TD John O'Mahony, chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications, said there were strenuous efforts behind the scenes to salvage the concerts. |
| "The government can assist, but it can't interfere in the planning process, and emergency legislation isn't possible," he said. | "The government can assist, but it can't interfere in the planning process, and emergency legislation isn't possible," he said. |
| "New residents' representatives have emerged in recent days, many of them backing the concert - this is a very quickly evolving situation, and there's a sense that if heads can be knocked together that this can be salvaged. | "New residents' representatives have emerged in recent days, many of them backing the concert - this is a very quickly evolving situation, and there's a sense that if heads can be knocked together that this can be salvaged. |
| "Everything that can be done will be done by the government in the next few days." | "Everything that can be done will be done by the government in the next few days." |
| Croke Park, owned by the GAA, is in a residential area in the north of the city, and some residents had threatened legal action after the initial two concerts were increased to five because of unprecedented demand. | Croke Park, owned by the GAA, is in a residential area in the north of the city, and some residents had threatened legal action after the initial two concerts were increased to five because of unprecedented demand. |
| Dublin City Council granted permission last week for just three of the country singer's planned concerts later this month, but Aiken Promotions announced on Tuesday that having "exhausted all avenues", none of the shows would go ahead. | Dublin City Council granted permission last week for just three of the country singer's planned concerts later this month, but Aiken Promotions announced on Tuesday that having "exhausted all avenues", none of the shows would go ahead. |
| It has been 17 years since Brooks' last concert in Dublin, and the Croke Park shows were supposed to mark his comeback. | It has been 17 years since Brooks' last concert in Dublin, and the Croke Park shows were supposed to mark his comeback. |