'Why would you wanna be anywhere else' — Garth Brooks effusive in praise of Ireland
Garth Brooks on the skywalk at Croke Park today; he was at the stadium to talk about his concerts at the venue planned for next year. Picture: Moya Nolan
There were a number of different checkpoints on the way into Croke Park today.
At each, you had to give your name and what news outlet you were from. At two of them, wristbands were distributed. At another checkpoint, your Covid vaccine cert was checked.
The assembled media was from all over the island of Ireland, from the national titles to the regionals.
A general hush fell over the reporters and photographers assembled as the centre of attention arrived on time to a rapturous ovation at 11.30am.
This was no ordinary press conference.
Garth Brooks was in town.
In denim and a cowboy hat, he joked how he couldn’t figure out why everyone knew it was him when he arrived in Dublin Airport as he was wearing a mask.
These jokes helped set the tone for a press conference that veered between light-hearted and sombre, as the country star reflected on the elephant in the room upon the announcement of two new concerts in Ireland next year.
His ill-fated plan to play five gigs in GAA headquarters in 2014 briefly became a national obsession.
It dominated the airwaves, the column inches, and was mentioned — more than once — on the floor in the Dáil.
As we know, he ended up playing none.
“It’s the greatest privilege and joy an artist can have to play in Ireland,” he told reporters. “It’s the greatest heartache to be told you can’t.”
Brooks said not getting to play those gigs felt like a “death in the family”.
“It’s still very fresh for me,” he said.
And as for five this time? Mr Brooks said he’d love to but he’d also love to be 6’5” with a six-pack.
And while he didn’t rule out any further gigs, even when the put to him that there were some fine venues in Cork he could take a look at, the two Croke Park concerts are the only ones announced so far.
He wants to “close that circle” of the previously cancelled gigs before looking elsewhere.
As effusive as he was about Ireland, Garth Brooks would’ve definitely felt that love reciprocated today.
Prefacing their questions, reporters would recall the gigs of his that they’d seen over the years.
One asked if the singer would sign his guitar afterwards. Another asked if he had ever seen a game of hurling before.
He handled it all with an easy charisma, repeatedly referring to Ireland as “home”.
He said that if there’s a “blessing” in the “curse” of the cancelled gigs in 2014, it’s that “there is a chance that this artist and those people who were sweet enough to get tickets before now have a chance to hopefully see each other again”.
After politely answering questions for well over an hour, the last question he fielded was on why he's so fond of Ireland.
He started the answer by cupping his fist tightly and likening it to America and how tightly wound it is. When he gets to Ireland, that tension is released, he suggested.
As he walked out of the room, he was treated to another chorus of applause.
It’s rare for the subject of a press conference to be given such a reception. But this was no ordinary press conference.
And that chorus is likely to be deafening when he takes to the stage in front of tens of thousands of people next September.
“Why would you wanna be anywhere else,” he concluded.
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