Bruce Springsteen ready to jet in and perform for 200,000 fans at four sold-out Irish concerts

The US rocker – known as ‘The Boss’ – will play sell-out concerts at Belfast (May 9), Kilkenny (May 12), Cork (May 16) and Dublin (May 19) as the second stop on his European tour.

Springsteen (74) played three sell-out and critically acclaimed concerts at Dublin’s RDS last May – and was so enthused by the response of his Irish and European fans he decided on a return.

Only Spain will rival Ireland for the total number of concerts played this summer by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame musician who will spend over three months in Europe.

The four concerts sold out within minutes when tickets went on sale last October. Concert organisers Aiken Promotions said Springsteen adored playing Ireland, which he now considers something akin to “a second home”.

The Hungry Heart singer is intensely proud of the fact that he has Irish heritage.

He first played Ireland in June 1985 when he delivered a legendary performance at Slane Castle.

Many consider that Co Meath show to be one of the greatest rock performances ever witnessed in Ireland.

At the time, it was the largest outdoor audience ‘The Boss’ had ever performed and he appeared at the height of his fame following his 1984 blockbuster Born in the USA album.

Over the next four decades, he has never omitted Ireland from any of his European tours – and even recorded an album at the 3Arena (then Point Depot) in Dublin as part of his Seeger Sessions tour.

Springsteen played concerts in Limerick, Belfast, Cork and Kilkenny in 2013 and so enjoyed the regional venues he vowed to make a return visit.

Peter Aiken – whose late father Jim brought Springsteen to Ireland for the first time in 1985 – said it would be a very special series of concerts over the next fortnight. “One million people in Ireland will have been to see him – it is phenomenal,” Mr Aiken said.

Aiken operations manager Shane Mates said the New Jersey rocker would play to a total of almost 200,000 fans in Ireland over the next fortnight – 40,000 at Boucher Fields, Belfast; 29,000 at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny; 40,000 at Páirc Uí Chaoímh, Cork and 80,000 at Croke Park, Dublin.

Mr Mates urged fans to check their tickets to ensure they are attending the correct date, to allow plenty of time to arrive at the concert venues, to have e-tickets downloaded and stored before arrival at the venue and to either walk or use public transport.

Given the reliance on electronic tickets, concert-goers were urged to ensure their phones were fully charged before they headed to the venue.

Gardaí confirmed that there would be no shuttle buses operating for the Cork venue, with roads closed within the footprint area of the stadium.

There will be three separate pedestrian approaches to the venue, all colour-coded for concert-goers.

Garda Superintendent John Deasy said that while shuttle buses were considered, it was decided that these could detract from the effort to get people to use pedestrian access to Páirc Uí Chaoímh and could also result in bottlenecks and delays at the venue.

Cork GAA chief executive Kevin O’Donovan said it was an incredible event for the stadium and for the entire region.

“We are thrilled to have Bruce Springsteen back here for the first time since 2013 and these are the kind of events that we want more of here at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoímh.”

“We feel like we are welcoming back an old friend. This is huge for the stadium, huge for the city and huge for the region.”

Springsteen opened his three-month European tour at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff last night.