Music

Springsteen and E Street band set to rock Kilkenny’s Nowlan Park

City in the grip of Bossmania for several weeks in latest instalment of performer’s Irish love affair that has endured for 40 years

Bruce Springsteen and Steve Van Zandt with The E Street Band performing at Boucher Road Playing Fields in Belfast last Thursday. Photograph: Liam McBurney

Sarah Slater in Kilkenny
Sun May 12 2024 - 19:00

An 11-year-hiatus since Bruce Springsteen and his E Street band made Kilkenny’s Nowlan Park rock to its core, ensured that nearly 30,000 music fans came to show their love for the New Jersey rocker.

The last time The Boss played in the medieval city was during his hugely successful Wrecking Ball Weekender. He may have played just one night of his US and European tour in Kilkenny but the atmosphere in the city pulsated all weekend long with hotels, bars and restaurants packed out with locals and visitors.

It’s a love affair which has lasted almost 40 years when he first set foot on Irish soil with his first gig in Slane Castle in Co Meath in June 1985.

Springsteen has performed along with his band about 30 times here since then and Ireland has after his track become The Promised Land for him with thousands of fans always turning out for his gigs.

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And Kilkenny was no different with Bossmania taking over the city for several weeks, with even a mural of the 74-year-old being painted along the sacred walls of the GAA stadium — the alma mater of so many senior All-Ireland winning hurlers. The eye-catching mural of Springsteen with the American flag providing the background was created by Paul Murphy, a teacher at Gowran National School.

Fergal O’Neill, in his late 30s and from Tuam in Galway, has been a Bruce fan for years but this was the first time he has seen him play live. “It’s my first time in Kilkenny and it’s really worth making the trip here. There’s such a carnival-type atmosphere here and it feels like it’s going to be a real intimate gig at the Nowlan Park grounds rather than in Croke Park.”

Making his way up to the entrance gates along John’s Street was his pal Tom Lonergan from Naas, Co Kildare, who added: “There’s such an incredible buzz around, the sun is shining and people are happy. Why wouldn’t they be, what is there not to like about his music and Kilkenny to boot.”

For his wife Claire, the Kilkenny gig was to be the fourth time she would have seen The Boss play. “There’s a festival-like feeling here. I became a fan thanks to my parents and now I’m following in his footsteps.”

A well-executed Garda traffic management plan, with the help of local council, GAA and public transport officials created a seamless movement of thousands of people along the narrow streets into the grounds when gates officially opened at 5pm.

Peter Bennett, from just outside Cardiff in Wales, made the trip over with some long-time friends. “We’ve seen Bruce play in so many different places and we were here in Kilkenny for his Wrecking Ball tour 11 years ago and we thought it was so wonderful here. So we skipped the opening gig of his tour in Cardiff last weekend and came here instead.

“It’s just so easy to get to Ireland and Kilkenny by ferry from Pembroke into Rosslare Europort and then around an hour’s drive to the city.”

Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Hurley said: “Kilkenny is an easy city to get to by train, bus and car from across the region and further afield. The last time he played here in 2023 there was a real holiday atmosphere and this weekend was no different. It is very positive for the region”.

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