Tánaiste would ‘absolutely’ like to see Garth Brooks return for Ireland gigs

Country music singer Garth Brooks (Niall Carson/PA)

The Tánaiste could be among the first to queue up for tickets if the rumoured Garth Brooks concerts go ahead in Ireland next year.

Leo Varadkar said he would “absolutely” like to see the country star play at Croke Park in September 2022.

It has been reported that the star’s team is to apply for a licence to play at GAA HQ.

Speaking at the Fine Gael think-in, Mr Varadkar said he had heard rumours in recent days that the American singer is set to make a long-awaited return.

“I can’t confirm them or not, whether Garth Brooks is coming to Ireland next year, but they were the concerts that never happened,” Mr Varadkar said.

“I think it really would be great if they did go ahead. Obviously we will have to talk to promoters about it and Croke Park, listen to residents in the area too.

I think it’d be great if we could see those events go ahead.

Five concerts were cancelled in 2014 following a licensing dispute with local authorities.

Dublin City Council said it would only grant licences for three of the concerts, however the singer refused to perform unless all five went ahead.

Hundreds of thousands of fans were disappointed when they were cancelled.

The decision was made following complaints from local residents about parking and cleaning issues.