An Garda Síochána received almost €1.5m from promoters and organisers to police some of the largest events held in the country last year — but received no external payment towards the cost of providing security for the Pope’s visit.

Tickets on sale next Friday December 1.

The gig will also feature special guests, Rancid.

U2 and Fleetwood Mas last year helped the Live Nation firm that operates the 3Arena in Dublin to double its pre-tax profits to £5.16m (€6.19m).

Concert promoter Denis Desmond shared in a near- €17.3m dividend payout last year from a firm co-owned by his UK joint venture.

A Swedish House Mafia fan, who was one of a number of people stabbed and beaten up at the group’s infamous concerts in the Phoenix Park four years ago, has settled his €60,000 damages claim against the organisers.

Numbers attending events promoted by Denis Desmond’s MCD Productions firm this year will not hit the heights of 2014 due to an anticipated quiet final quarter.

One Direction’s sell-out gigs at Croke Park last year helped ticket sales by MCD Productions to grow by 12.5% to 1.5m in a bumper year for the promoters.

A man who claims he got stuck in the mud at a festival and was knocked over, breaking his ankle, has sued the concert promoters.

Concert promoter Denis Desmond has added to his fortune by sharing a dividend totalling £3.29m (€4.1m) from his Festival Republic business last year.

Sold-out concerts by One Direction and Van Morrison at Dublin’s O2 last year were not enough to prevent the group that operates the venue incurring a 17% drop in pre-tax profits to £4.99m (€5.83m).

Concert promoters MCD Productions recorded “strong” profits last year in spite of a 22% drop in ticket sales to 1.2m.

One Direction and Robbie Williams helped Dublin’s O2 last year gross over $41m (€32m) and to jump one place to become the fourth- best attended music arena in the world.

Garda bosses have appeared to pull back on their criticism of music promoters MCD regarding their handling of the Swedish House Mafia gig at Phoenix Park in July.

One man died and at least seven men were stabbed during a concert in Dublin last night.

Concert promoters MCD Productions returned to profit last year after recording an 8% increase in the number of concert tickets sold to 1.54m.

An Oasis fan who claims he was injured at the rock band’s concert in Slane has brought a High Court action for damages.

GEORGE MICHAEL and Rihanna helped Dublin’s O2 gross over $50 million (€39m) and beat the likes of New York’s Madison Square Garden to be the 5th best attended music arena venue in the world last year.

Rock superstar Prince will not be appearing as a witness in a High Court case arising out of a dispute over the cancellation of a concert the musician was due to perform in Dublin in June 2008.

Prince has cancelled his much-anticipated performance at Dublin's Croke Park next Monday.

THE battle between the country’s two leading concert promoters is about to heat up with a mystery music festival added to this summer’s calendar.

JUSTIN GREEN, marketing and public relations director of MCD Productions, has been elected president of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) at the Institute’s Annual General Meeting.

Music promoter Mean Fiddler today looked set to be taken over by investors including the world’s largest concert promoter.

PROFITS at MCD Productions, the concert promoter and music venue owner, more than doubled in 2003 its latest set of accounts show.

VINCE POWER, the Waterford-born businessman, has netted nearly €18 million from the sale of his entire stake in the Mean Fiddler Music group.

Rising demand for live music among all age groups has helped music promoter Mean Fiddler return to the black today.