A formal application for a licence to host a controversial concert by Madonna at Slane Castle, Co Meath, on Sunday, August 29th, has been lodged by concert promoters MCD on behalf of the castle's owner, Lord Henry Mountcharles.
Meath County Council confirmed the application was lodged yesterday afternoon. A five-week public consultation period will follow and it is expected that a number of objections will be received.
Residents of the village again threatened High Court proceedings yesterday to try to prevent the event going ahead on that date. They say they have no objection to a Saturday concert.
However, the concert organisers say it is impossible to hold the concert on Saturday, August 28th, because of the logistics of the massive Madonna tour.
Slane residents claim Lord Mountcharles entered a binding agreement to never again hold a Sunday concert after widescale public disorder at Bob Dylan's 1984 concert.
Mr Eddie Hudson said the licence application was fully expected but that residents would now consider legal action to prevent the event going ahead on Sunday.
Lord Henry Mountcharles told The Irish Times it was "technically not correct" to say he had a binding agreement with the residents.
There was an agreement dating from 1986 between himself and "certain individuals" and that there had been an undertaking not to hold a concert on a Sunday.
"The bottom line is there are an awful lot of people who live in the village of Slane and the Slane area who are pro-concert and they don't receive the same amount of publicity," he said.