Gray set to dazzle fans in the sunshine

THERE will be no Gray clouds over Killarney tonight as the sun is set to shine for the start of the town’s Summerfest.

Even those fans forced to search for accommodation up to 40 miles away from the town's sell-out David Gray concert are looking forward to the gig.

There has been unprecedented demand for accommodation as all 7,000 Bord Fáilte registered beds in Killarney have been booked out for months.

"Every second call we've been getting in the last two or three weeks has been for accommodation for the David Gray concert," said south Kerry tourism officer Declan Murphy "This demand is quite unprecedented and we've been booking people into Killorglin, Castleisland, Tralee, Glenbeigh and the Portmagee direction.

"We're also getting a lot of calls for the Counting Crows and Cranberries concert next weekend, all of which is an endorsement of the Summerfest programme and proof that if you bring acts of international standard, you'll do the business," he added.

The last time David Gray performed in Killarney, several years ago, he played to an audience of around 100 people in a small night club called Rudy's, which has since closed.

Tonight, the English singer/songwriter will sing some of his many hits before a capacity crowd of 26,000 at Fitzgerald Stadium.

When tickets for the concert the opening event of Killarney Summerfest went on sale, they were snapped up quickly, as were all available beds in Killarney for the night.

According to the festival organisers, a mature crowd is expected.

Traffic is expected to be very heavy, but gardaí are expecting an orderly weekend, though extra manpower is available.

Meanwhile, the weatherman is forecasting conditions to be warm and cloudy today with patchy drizzle for a time.

However, these conditions are expected to brighten up later with some sunshine.

Maximum temperatures will be between 19 and 22 degrees centigrade.