From Macroom to Lisdoonvarna: New film shows How Ireland Rocked the '70s
How Ireland Rocked the '70s is on RTÉ One, Tuesday, December 28. desmusic
On 4 September 1970, Richmond Park, then a dilapidated stadium in Inchicore, hosted Ireland’s first ever outdoor rock music festival. Run by a group of enthusiasts from Armagh, the all-night event was headlined by a British band, Mungo Jerry, and the undercard featured a number of emerging Irish beat groups, most notably Thin Lizzy and Granny’s Intentions.
It was a commercial disaster. Only 1,500 people attended and the scatter-gun coverage it received in advance was dominated by concerns about public order and behaviour. In an effort to assure local residents and businesses, the organisers took to the national press on the morning of the festival and confirmed that the site would be policed by ‘private security guards with dogs’.
