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Slane has become a part of Irish music folklore
Slane has become a part of Irish music folkloreWith Fontaines D.C. set to be only the third Irish act to headline Slane Castle when they play two huge homecoming shows in 2027, we look back on how the Co. Meath castle became one of the most famous concert venues in the world.
What began as a way of generating revenue to maintain the historic estate quickly became something much bigger. A post shared by Slane Castle It all began on August 16th 1981, when Thin Lizzy became the first band to headline a concert at Slane Castle. Around 18,000 people showed up for the inaugural show, an ambitious experiment for Lord Henry Mountcharles. A young Irish band called U2 opened for Thin Lizzy.
U2 were still working their way up. Twenty years later, they would return to Slane as the headliners, playing two concerts in 2001. A post shared by Cinzia Bertano If Thin Lizzy established Slane, The Rolling Stones made it internationally famous. When they arrived in July 1982, the scale of the concert was another level.
Around 70,000 people attended, turning the estate into the largest concert site in Ireland overnight. The Stones transformed Slane from an unusual concert venue into a destination for music fans, and the ambition of the bookings changed. When Bob Dylan arrived in Slane in 1984 he was already one of the most respected musicians of the 20th century. The performance itself produced one of the great Slane moments when Bono joined Dylan onstage during the encore.
Bono did not know all the words and improvised his way through it. An awkward, slightly cringe duet that somehow workedafter several arrests. A crowd gathered outside the Garda station, windows were smashed, vehicles were set alight, reinforcements were brought in in riot gear to combat the angry mob. Local businesses and property were damaged, and the violence left a small village dealing with scenes it had never anticipated.
Michael D. Higgins was among those who attended the concert long before his years as President, adding another small piece of Irish history to the night. But for Lord Mountcharles, the aftermath was much more serious. The disorder raised questions about whether Slane could continue as a concert venue at all. A post shared by Behind The Gallery If Bob Dylan tested Slane’s future, Bruce Springsteen helped secure it.
His 1985 concert became one of the defining shows of the early Slane years. The Boss played for around three and a half hours, working his way through a marathon of a set. Among those in the crowd were Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend and Elvis Costello. The following summer, Queen brought their Magic Tour to the castle.
The rain came down heavily, but did little to dampen the atmosphere as Freddie Mercury appeared before a enormous, soaked crowd. Queen’s set would become particularly significant with hindsight: the Magic Tour was their final tour with Mercury.
Then in 1987, David Bowie pushed the idea of what a Slane concert could be. His Glass Spider Tour was far removed from the traditional rock show. Bowie descended from the roof of the stage holding a telephone, surrounded by an elaborate theatrical production. Slane had become more than a field for a rock concert: it was now a stage for a spectacle.
After Bowie, Slane took a five year hiatus before returning with Guns N’ Roses in 1992. Slash and Duff McKagan reportedly spent the day fishing, while Axl Rose stayed in Dublin before arriving two hours late. The crowd left waiting, found its own entertainment. Human pyramids appeared among the audience as thousands of fans killed time before the band finally took the stage.
A post shared by rockarchive.com The early 1990s brought some extraordinary line ups. Neil Young played in 1993 with Pearl Jam among his backing musicians. R.E. M. headlined in 1995 with Oasis among their support acts.
On paper it was another spectacular Slane bill. But in reality the day ended in tragedy. Two young fans drowned in the River Boyne while attempting to get into the concert. Stories of people swimming across the river to get into the venue had become a part of folklore surrounding the summer concerts.
Slane took a two year break afterwards. The incident also marked a turning point in how the events were organised, with security and crowd management becoming increasingly important as the concerts grew. When Slane opened its gates again in 1998, the musical landscape had changed. The Verve headlined that year, riding the huge success of, but their support act ultimately stole the show.
Robbie Williams’ performance at Slane made an impression big enough to earn him his own headline show the following summer. In 1999, Williams returned to headline, and Slane’s relationship with pop was firmly established. The venue that began with Thin Lizzy and became synonymous with classic rock was now capable of hosting a different type of superstar. Yet, there was still plenty of rock.
U2 returned in 2001, for two sold out shows, completing the journey that began when they played support to Thin Lizzy twenty years earlier. Oasis arrived in 2009, bringing the Gallagher brothers back to Ireland’s most famous stage. Within weeks after the gig, Oasis had split.
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