Springsteen was good, Pairc Uí Chaoimh awful

The arrival of a headline act like Bruce Springsteen to Cork was a welcome boost, providing hoteliers, taxi drivers and publicans with a boost in these dire economic times and a reminder to music promoters that there is a large market in the south.

It is unfortunate, then, that the organisation of the concert at Pairc Uí Chaoimh did not match the anticipation.

The event organisers should have foreseen the folly of one bar for 40,000 people. Many people queued for an hour for drinks, missing a large portion of the show. This meant that the standing area was never close to capacity and this adversely affected the atmosphere.