International yodelling high-wire
entrepreneur Garth Brooks has sensationally ditched all five of his planned
Croke Park performances, after Dublin City Council (DCC) refused to license two
of them.
“It’s five or none”, insisted
Brooks before comparing the situation to child neglect.
“To choose which shows to do and
which shows not to do, would be like asking to choose one child over another. I
love all the children of Ireland. So I choose none of them”.
Brooks, who showed up in boots,
said he had “Faith that his God (Episcopal) would furnish the DCC (Planning and Licensing Sub-Committee) with the strength to make the best decision for the people of Ireland”
before admitting, “A show like mine takes at least five nights to get right”.
The council’s decision was made
in the wake of complaints and threatened legal action by Croke Park residents
who are country music fans.
Sean O’Murphy, chairman of the
Croke Park Streets Committee, described the prospect of five consecutive nights
of Brooks’ facile, up-tempo, big-hat, ham-Country as “totally toxic to the
community”.
“As much as I love country music,
the prospect of being stuck at home for five consecutive nights listening to
Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash at full volume is excessive”, he added.
