Owen Keegan
‘sup pilgrim?
“Nothing that has occurred since I made the decision has changed my opinion that the decision was appropriate, balanced and reasonable. I very much regret the decision of Garth Brooks/Aiken Promotions not to hold the three permitted concerts and not to examine the options proposed by the city council in relation to the two concerts that were not permitted. This was their decision and they must accept the consequences.”
Dublin City chief executive Owen Keegan (above) arriving at Leinster House today.
Keegan: Brooks and promoter ‘must accept consequences’ of cancellations (breakingNews)
(Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland)
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it was the right decision.
+5
-2
= 0, none.
Thinking about the children?
Actually enforcing the law as it’s written instead of throwing it out the window the minute someone waves the promise of a few euros about?
Feck’s sakes, who does he think he is, Hans Blix?
But he wasn’t really enforcing the law was he? The three one direction concerts were the permitted total under the law. He added two at a whim and decided then he could add no more. That’s my understanding anyway.
3 concerts can be held each year without the need to apply for a license.
Extra concerts are permitted following application and license approval.
Your understanding is flawed…
How flawed? There were extra concerts approved therefore its a process in place to approve after the 3 auto permitted ones have taken place. The no. of extra concerts and their consecutive nature seems to be fairly arbitrary though.
He got the nukes and all the visitors out of Dun Laoghaire
Fair play to him for doing his job – he is to be commended for sticking up to bullies as well. Fair fupping play.
Overall however the outcome seems to be a failure – even though I have no interest in Brooks or his music.
Failure? If you consider the bully tactics not working a failure, then yes, I guess.
No. I think that you must seperate the tactic from the outcome.
Most reasonable folks would see that however you cut it the loss of revenue and goodwill is a negative.
Fine but that was brinksmanship from Brooks.
Originally he was happy with two concerts yet now apparently, three is not feasible.
I suspect Garth and Jim were planning 5 from day 1 – sneaky little tactic that’s probably worked in the past. Ha! I say.
It shouldn’t be too hard to find a world-class act wanting to use the 3-day slot when they consider the €15 million revenue potential. Does anyone have the number for the Stones’ manager?
The goodwill loss is the GAA and Aiken’s fault, not the DCC, they did their job.
The revenue was never there because they were never approved. Hell, there could be gigs held in Croker every week. How come you are not screaming about the lost revenue there… because that’s just silly, isn’t it.
Fair play to Owen Keegan. It’s a pity we didn’t have more like him in the past.
yup, we definitely need more owen keegans.
the guy who championed privatising refuse collection and approved the horrificly giant library development in dun laoghaire
Privatising rubbish collection is a bit poo, however when you have a situation where the govt (and by extension the people) refuses to adequately resource local govt and when the unions fight tooth and nail agianst any changes in work practices over the years, you are left with little choice.
those were both huge issues, but those issues should have been tackled. the solution is not, and was not privatisation.
a bad situation is now worse and deteriorating.
Brought Soprano drama to the country and a Sandcrawler on the coastline
yeah great job that he let his chief planner make the decision despite him having family living in the area plus owning a property in the area. absolutely stinks!
Plus most of the objections were false…what a total farce
That’s the thread you’re clinging on to ? You’ll find the planner you’re referring to has made many decisions in the favour of Croke Park in the past, including 3 concerts that the fat cowboy turned his nose up at.
he or anyone shouldn’t make decisions on areas where they have a vested interest. whether that croke park or aviva or anywhere. it makes no sense at all.
i’m not clinging to any threads either. I’ve no interest in GB but so much of this is rotten to core.
surely checking out those who object would be part of the process, to see they actually live there and are over 18.
All he did is uphold a rule already in existence. If he’d changed it, then he’d have questions to answer. He didn’t change anything that could be cited as favouring his own situation. He stuck to the rule, nothing more.
Clampers is the rule you are talking about ‘the 3 gig rule’? Why approve 3 so? Or the never done before 5 gigs in 3 days? …Which was the worst suggestion ever, way worse than 5 days.
That rule only means 3 with no license. Any more need a planning decision…which is made by someone with property in the area.
Why approve the 3 extra is what I meant…after the 3 one direction concerts used the no licence needed allowance.
Most objections weren’t false, this is more brooks guff, regardless if there is only one objection the council is obliged to view it on it’s merits. having 10 detectives wasting their time at the bequest of the powers that be, truffle hunting some false objections conspiracy, when their time could be better spent elsewhere is total nonsense, speaking of questionable impartiality, the politician Timmy Dooley, who is investigating the decision at the pac meeting, earlier last week posted a picture of himself with brooks from a few years ago with some “looks like we mightn’t meet again” rubbish, correct decision within the law. Move on…
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/garth-brooks-concerts-detectives-investigate-fake-objections-to-gigs-30414637.html
How did the following statement trigger the crude filter
“Fair play to Owen Keegan. It’s a pity we didn’t have more like him in the past.”
For me, he’s one of the few who come out of this whole farce with any dignity – along with some of the residents. He took a brave decision for the good of the few, and stuck by it (not that, legally, he had any option after the decision was made).
Came under a lot of pressure and probably took a lot of grief, but 3 was the correct decision.
I heard him outlining the planning decision, seemed very reasonable to me. Don’t think it is a failure at all, that is the planning process, people got greedy.
He is worthy of laudation!
Freeman of the city ? Honoury Lord Mayor so we can but that nutter Christy to pasture ?
*put that nutter…
He is the City Manager.
He is like the CEO of the Dublin City Council organisation, except he isn’t actually accountable to the board. (the council)
What you are saying would be like making him an honorary idiot-son-who-inherited-a-minority-stake, to stretch the CEO analogy a bit too far.
Peter Aiken comes across as a carny barker, not professional at all. Sections of the media (who have a vested interest in ad revenue from Aiken promotions) have been quick to point the gun at keegan. The fact is the only person in this who was unwilling to budge was brooks.
The GAA & Croke Park aren’t exactly squeeky clean either, knowing they only had permission for a limited amount of concerts per year and assuming DCC would literally let them do what they like.
My opinion: Nowt to do with Brooks, nowt to do with GAA, nowt to do with DCC.
The link in the middle though is the promoter, who from what I read was told, 3 gigs you can do, 5 would be a hard call, yet he went ahead and told Brooks 5 is a go.
Was only a matter of time before something like this happened anyway.
this jackass is responsible for the farce that is dun laoghaire library as well
He has helped ruin Dun laoughaire in lots of other ways too..
Hes right in this instance,but give it a couple of years and business and residents of Dublin City wont be so fond of him..
+ 1 not a fan
yeah Jesus, libraries, who needs them right? more supermacs and fast food joints for the proles.
yeah he must have been very bad at his job in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown if he managed to get a €30million plus library and cultural centre built that will serve the community for centuries to come when most other local authorities can’t even provide safe drinking water
You haven’t seen it then?
I am split about the library, but if all that I don’t like about the area was to be demolished, there wouldn’t be much left.
There should be Supermacs and McDonalds franchises IN libraries, could keep the kids occupied for longer then -and learn some great life lessons as well.
To sell 400,000 tickets for an unlicensed concert that clearly goes against the law, I need nothing other than some money to advertise.
For every 5% of those who don’t reclaim their money when the concert is cancelled, I stand to make €24 million. This refund phase is going to be interesting.
I say regulate events NOW and ban people with poor records from promoting any event.
ooops, 1.2 million gain per 5%
practically every concert/festival etc held in this country is sold subject to license. nothing knew there.
That’s the point: the license should be acquired BEFORE the tickets go on sale.
It absolutely should be the rule.
legend, standing up to these hick bullies, supporting the cyclists agenda and generally looking after Dublin, top man.
John Rich is the man: http://youtu.be/sMuM_YAlKr8
… cause we’d all be speakin’ German livin’ under the flag of Japan, if it wasn’t for the good lord and the man.
That’s classic culchie music right there. The Dublin Lord Mayor: Garit Bruuuksss s s s s s. We love you Garit, we need you Garit, we’re so upset now Mr. Bruuuksss s s s s s. This John Rich fella is not as good you Garit.
My family had dealings with him in his Dun Laoghaire Rathdown days and I personally found him to be a compassionless jobsworth, hellbent on upholding the letter of the law but not the spirit. And, in my opinion, high-handed and obnoxious with it.
By all means laud him if you must, but remember to be careful what you wish for.