Oasis Concert and Smarmore Castle

It’s just over two weeks now until this year’s concert at Slane Castle on June 20th. We are only 20 minutes away from the famous venue. Close enough to get there quickly on the back roads but not quite near enough to hear the music on the day. In the past we have had a variety of guests use the castle here as their accommodation base for attending the concert and this year is no different.

Slane manages to consistently attract some of the biggest performers in world music. This year Oasis is the headline act and they are supported by the Prodigy, Kasabian, Glasvegas and The Blizzards. Its list of past performers include U2, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Madonna (it’s worth taking a guided tour of Slane Castle to hear the guides tell you about Madonna’s special requirements on the day she performed in 2004).

Everyone knows about the venue’s unique physical characteristics. The setting is a natural amphitheatre as the gentle hill in front of the castle slopes down towards the banks of the Boyne River where the stage is set up. Around 80,000 fans usually converge on the village on the day but when you are there it does not feel overcrowded. In addition to the setting itself Slane cemented its reputation by getting the really big names when they didn’t really tour Ireland. Nowadays there seems to a different performer in the country virtually every week but back in the 80’s when the concerts were getting established having Queen, Bowie or Springsteen here was big news.

If you don’t have a ticket then there are still options. When Robbie Williams played there in 1999 a couple who were staying here travelled up to the village in the evening while the concert was in full swing and parked on the Hill of Slane. From there they could enjoy all the music and had a fantastic view of the firework show at the end.