'This will be my 67th time seeing him': devoted Springsteen fans ready and waiting for Cork gig 

Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band are performing in Cork on Thursday but dedicated fans are already meeting up near the Marina

Glory Days: Bruce fans gathered for 10am roll call on Wednesday morning. They are queuing for priority admission to the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band stadium concert at Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork on Thursday. Picture: Larry Cummins

There are fans and then there are the ultra-dedicated fans — we're talking treasured memorabilia, cardboard cutouts, and so, so many tattoos.

These Bruce Springsteen fans start queuing days in advance of each concert and they have a 'roll-call' check-in every few hours — while they still buy their own tickets, this gives them a ranking number which is shared with the security team and grants them first-in, front-row access to gigs.

Seanán McQuillan-Switzer (16) from Crosshaven, Cork is No 1 in the queue for admission to the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band stadium concert at Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork, pictured with (from right) his mum Antoinette, (No. 2 in the queue) sister Estelle, (No.3 in queue), sister Ava Grace and friend Helena Pietruczuk (no.5 in queue) as they attend a 10am fans 'roll-call'. Picture: Larry Cummins

At the top of the queue with #1 ranking is Seanán McQuillan Switzer from Crosshaven. He's thrilled that his commitment has paid off as he was "only #120 for the Belfast concert". Seanán is 16 and his whole family are fans of The Boss. They've been to see him in New Zealand and Australia and across the US.

Mum, Antoinette McQuillan Switzer has seen Bruce perform more than 100 times now and was busy coordinating the queuing list near The Kiosk by 5Points at Marina Park in Cork.

Top left: Antoinette McQuillan Switzer and her daughter Avagrace meet Bruce Springsteen on stage; top centre: Bruce holds Avagrace at his Gothenburg Sweden 2016 concert; Antoinette on stage with Bruce Springsteen in Philadelphia 2016; lower left: Conor McQuillan, Antoinette, Avagrace and Seanán at Bruce Springsteen 2017 concert in Brisbane. Pictures courtesy McQuillan Switzer family

And while many of these fans know each other well (Antoinette has several staying at her house this week), this list is taken very seriously. Antoinette's own husband, Conor McQuillan has been crossed off the list after he missed a roll-call as he had to work.

That's a bit brutal, isn't it?

"No, it's just fairness that we do it this way, and everyone knows that it's all being run fairly now," she laughs before pointing out that he still had to cook breakfast for all the fans staying over at their house this morning.

Irish fans Alice Coppen, from Wexford and Jim Conway from Limerick look over a book of photos of 'The Boss' while attending the roll-call. Picture: Larry Cummins

Antoinette's daughters, Avagrace, 14, and Estelle, 24, will also be at this gig. Antoinette, who works in the tech sector, will be wearing her signed Irish flag on Thursday evening and is hoping that Springsteen will  perform the Pogues' song Rainy Night in Soho, which he sang in Kilkenny, again in Cork. 

In between chatting to other dedicated fans and coordinating the roll-calls, Antoinette has been working away on her laptop.

There's a Spring-Nuts Facebook page with 17.7k members where a lot of these fans chat and share information.

Lorenzo from Florence, Italy has been to see Bruce Springsteen 26 times already and is really looking forward to the Cork concert. The Airbnb property manager says the guitar pick he got from Bruce in 2016 is among his most valued possessions.

Heidi Cron from New York who has purchased tickets for shows in Cardiff, Belfast, Kilkenny, Cork, Dublin, Sunderland, Milan and London; with Anna Janshagen and Barbara Wennheden, from Sweden with Marilyn Clarke from England. Picture: Larry Cummins

Marilyn, 72, from South-East England, is currently #110 on the list and is hoping to be right up the front for a very good reason. She will be brandishing a Sharpie pen and wearing a 'sign my arm please' sign on her head. And if The Boss grants her wish, she'll be getting that signature permanently inked on her arm. 

It won't be her first (or even second) tattoo though. Patting each hip, she says: "I got one as a kick against turning 60 and another as a kick against turning 70."

Showing her Bruce Springsteen signature tattoo is Heidi Cron from New York who has purchased tickets for shows in Cardiff, Belfast, Kilkenny, Cork, Dublin, Sunderland, Milan and London. Picture: Larry Cummins

Heidi, 56, from New York City has been to see Bruce perform more than 30 times and has already achieved the coveted signature tattoo. "I had a sign reading 'belated birthday... please sign my arm'," she explains. And once Springsteen signed her forearm she was straight off to a tattoo studio the same evening. 

Heidi has been a fan since the 1970s and loves the fun atmosphere and the camaraderie among the dedicated fans almost as much as the gigs themselves: "I feel like Bruce has pre-screened us emotionally and these people all really get it and we understand each other, they're such great people."

Born to Rock: Helen Greenhalgh, Lancashire; Eddie Johanson, from Sweden attending his 101st Bruce show, Nicholas Meerlagio from Belgium, Rebecca Brambilla, Italy, and Chris Couper, London. Picture: Larry Cummins

Coup, 40, from Watford, and Helen Greenhalgh from Lancashire are really looking forward to the Cork concert. "This will be my 67th time seeing him," says Coup who works as a postman — and who is also the proud bearer of several Bruce Springsteen tattoos.

"A photo of my most valuable possession shortly after he gave me it at Madison Square Garden. A genuine, concert-used harmonica.. one of the happiest moments of my life," — devoted Bruce Springsteen fan, Coup

His dedication has paid off though as he was up in the front row for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's concert at Madison Square Garden last year. He was given Bruce's harmonica at that gig and keeps it "very safely in a very secure box". 

Mother and son duo, Gabrealla and Gosse Nauta, attended roll-call after a fast taxi ride from Cork Airport, having just arrived from Amsterdam. Picture: Larry Cummins

Helen was reluctant to put a figure on how much they might have spent on getting to see Bruce over the years but said it's definitely in the five figures, adding that they'll have used up all of their annual leave for the next year by the time the last tour date takes place in July.

Anna and Barbara from near Malmö in Sweden were also enjoying the atmosphere at Cork's Marina Park — both have seen Bruce Springsteen perform more than 20 times and were busy greeting other fans they recognised from previous gigs.

Fans Oba Hiroki, from Tokyo, Japan and Sharon Burns from San Francisco, USA take a 'selfie' after meeting at 10am roll call on Wednesday morning. Picture: Larry Cummins

Many of the fans were very complimentary of Aiken Promotions and AOS Security for looking out for them so well in the run-up and during the Irish concerts.

Bruce Springsteen plays Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork on Thursday, May 16.