Blame it all on the rules: Garth Brooks isn’t coming to Ireland

He loves us, he always will, but he ain’t coming.

In a statement that reads like the rough draft of some freshly brewed honky tonk, Garth Brooks last night confirmed none of the five shows planned for Croke Park will go ahead — finally drawing a line under a drama that will surely inspire a future Brooks’ ballad.

Blaming his decision not on his roots, but on the Irish authorities’ inability to change the rules and licence all five shows, Mr Brooks said to say he was crushed was “an understatement”.

“All I see is my mother’s face and I hear her voice. She always said things happen for a reason and for the right reason. As hard as I try, I cannot see the light on this one,” Mr Brooks said in the statement.

"As hard as I try, I cannot see the light on this one."

Garth Brooks confirms he will play no concerts in Croke Park. More to follow (DOD)

— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) July 14, 2014

It was therefore “with a broken heart” that Mr Brooks announced ticket refunds would go ahead via Ticketmaster.

He thanked everyone involved in trying to bring him here, most of all music promoter Peter Aiken, for whom the Brooks fiasco has been a major headache.

A statement from Aiken Promotions last night said they regretted to announce that “despite pursuing all possible solutions, the five concert Garth Brooks Comeback Special Event at Croke Park is cancelled”.

For those who take longer for bad news to sink in, Aiken Promotions added “No concerts will take place”.

The tortuous process of refunding 400,000 fans begins on Thursday at 9am.