At least 80,000 U2 fans will have to await the outcome of a Supreme Court appeal to see whether they will be able attend concerts by the group in Dublin next month. The appeal is likely to take place this week as the courts rise for the summer recess on Thursday.
The troubled efforts to bring the PopMart shows to Dublin suffered the latest setback yesterday when the High Court restrained the Irish Rugby Football Union from staging U2 concerts at Lansdowne Road on August 30th and 31st . The order, after objections by three local residents, is being appealed by the IRFU.
U2's manager, Mr Paul McGuinness, said last night that the band's promoters were working to overcome "this most recent obstacle", and the group was "really looking forward to playing at home, and we hope we can". U2, currently on a European tour, will play in Leipzig tonight.
Some 40,000 tickets for the first Dublin gig sold out within two hours on July 5th. The demand prompted promoter, Mr Oliver Barry, to stage a second concert at the grounds for August 31st.
Earlier plans to stage an open-air concert by the group in the Phoenix Park - which could have been attended by 100,000 people - were cancelled after objections by residents and an eventual decision by the then promoter, Mr Jim Aiken, that the venture would not be financially viable.
As the possible implications for holding concerts in other sports grounds were being considered last night, Mr Shane Cleary, chief executive of the RDS, said it was extraordinary that Dublin, seemingly alone among the capitals of Europe, has this problem when it comes to staging pop concerts.
He favoured the introduction of a licensing system similar to that operated in other countries.
