Oasis to come 'home' to Slane

APPROPRIATELY ENOUGH at a venue where U2 once recorded a song called A Sort of Homecoming, Oasis made a homecoming of their own to Slane Castle yesterday.

Noel Gallagher arrived by helicopter to the castle to announce one of the biggest concerts of the band's career.

It is less than 10 miles from where his estranged father Tommy grew up in Duleek. "I remember vaguely as a child going to the racecourse with my old man and he put himself through horror on the horses and I reminded myself never to get involved with them," said Gallagher, recalling without sentiment his forays to Meath as a child.

Younger brother, lead singer and hellraiser Liam was unavoidably absent from yesterday's launch. "Liam had a big night last night so he is probably getting over the hangover," said the older Gallagher.

The Gallagher brothers fell out with their father when he left their Mayo-born mother Peggy while they were teenagers.

Nevertheless, castle owner Henry Mountcharles called Gallagher "basically half a Duleek man" and he professed to being "overjoyed" to have secured the band which are one of the few acts with a fighting chance of selling out the 80,000 capacity venue.

Oasis will play Slane on Saturday, June 20th. The band played the castle in 1995 as support to REM just before the release of their second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?which made them superstars for a while.

Gallagher had hazy memories of their previous Slane appearance. "I thought we appeared on our own," he said though he did remember about 80 Irish relatives were present. "They have children of their own now so we're expecting 97 this time. My mother will be like the Queen of Sheeba."

Oasis are touring to promote their album Dig Your Soul Out, which was released last week and is number two in the Irish charts.

Gallagher waxed lyrical about his childhood in Ireland where he was dispatched for the summer holidays. "We did farming stuff, bringing in the hay, cutting turf, eating sweets and talking nonsense. This time we'll be eating sweets and talking nonsense with a bit of rock and roll," he said. "Nine of out 10 bands will go into any city in the world and tell the crowd that they are their favourite audiences, but there is something about a Celtic crowd, Scotland or Ireland. I just think people get more drunk," he explained.

Tickets go on sale on October 24th at a price to be announced.