Killarney stadium delays cited as Garth Brooks omits Kerry from tour

American country singer Garth Brooks has announced 10 Irish concerts, but the schedule excludes Killarney due to delays in upgrading Fitzgerald Stadium, the Irish Independent reported. Radio Kerry and thejournal.ie reported that Brooks will perform two nights each in Belfast, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick, and Cork. Outlets differed on the year of the tour, with thejournal.ie and independent.ie citing 2027 while Radio Kerry and irishexaminer.com reported the dates will take place next summer. [1][2][4][5][6][7]

The Irish Independent described the situation as a missed opportunity to bring the singer to Kerry. Radio Kerry reported that Independent councillor Niall O'Callaghan urged the Justice Minister to allow funding from the Immigrant Investor Programme for the venue redevelopment. He noted that Fitzgerald Stadium could compete for major concerts if the so-called golden visa scheme allowed investment, following a legal challenge brought by Kerry GAA after the project was left out of the program. [1][4]

Troyal Garth Brooks is an American country singer whose style blends traditional country with pop and rock elements. Fitzgerald Stadium is the principal GAA stadium in Killarney, Ireland, and serves as the home championship venue for the Kerry senior football team. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the venue hosted the Garvey's SuperValu County Senior Football Championship semi-finals. [8][9][13]

Tickets for the 10 scheduled Irish concerts are set to go on sale next Thursday, according to independent.ie and thejournal.ie. The upcoming dates mark a return for Brooks, who last played five sold-out shows at Croke Park in Dublin in September 2022, thejournal.ie reported. [2][3][6]