There was more controversy this week surrounding Madonna's concert at Ireland's Slane Castle. When the concert was first announced earlier this year some members of the Catholic church protested that such a gig was being staged on a Sunday. Subsequently fears that the local town would be swamped with Madonna fans preceding the concert led to military style planning by local police in order to control crowds.
The latest fall out over the gig relates to the refusal of the concert's promoters to grant discount tickets to people helping wheelchair users. The campaign has been taken up by John Bruton, a former head of government in Ireland. He has published correspondence between himself and Denis Desmond of promoters MCD, claiming the concert organisers have failed in their duties to the disabled community.
Bruton told reporters: "I am highlighting this matter publicly in order to raise public awareness of the problems being faced by people with severe physical disabilities who have to have a helper with them at expensive public events like Madonna's concert". He dismissed MCDs defense that they had already put in place a range of facilities for disabled people at the concert. Bruton continued: "It is my understanding that you are obliged by law to do this anyway and that in no way mitigates the situation". MCD are yet to comment on Bruton's public comments.
Despite some in the local community raising concerns about the Madonna concert, most of those interviewed by the local media seem to be looking forward to the event, and don't expect much trouble. One local hotel owner told Ireland OnLine: "We are expecting a more mature crowd than in previous years, people between 25 to 35 to 40. Any residences that have been booked have been of an older age group.
There are a lot of kids being kept at home and the parents are going to the actual concert!".