The largest indoor millennium party in the State planned for the RDS in Dublin has been cancelled after no more than half of the 9,500 tickets were sold.
The organisers, Millennium Mania Ltd, announced the cancellation yesterday, but blamed the firm contracted to provide security for the event rather than the disappointing ticket sales.
It said Cill Dara Security Services Ltd was unable "to provide sufficient insurance cover" and "for reasons of public safety" the event was being scrapped.
However, the security firm's general manager, Mr Martin Howard, said Millennium Mania had failed to meet its contractual obligations, including the payment of a deposit, adding the organisers "seem to be looking for a way out because ticket sales have not gone well".
Ms Avril Bannerton, a director of Millennium Mania, said a £10,000 deposit had been paid to CDSS last March, but Mr Howard said this payment related to another event.
Mr Howard said he had been told on Wednesday that only about 3,000 of the 9,500 tickets had been sold and that Millennium Mania needed to sell at least double that to break even.
However, Ms Bannerton said it had sold "nearly half" of its tickets with all VIP tickets at £99 each sold out. The tickets ranged in price from £55 to £99. Ms Bannerton said yesterday the company had lost more than £350,000 as a result of the cancellation. Many of the bands due to play, such as the Saw Doctors, had already been paid. She added Millennium Mania intended to pursue CDSS for all loss, damages and inconvenience caused.
In a statement, the Newbridge-based security firm said it "will also be following similar lines for losses incurred".
Mr Howard said the company was "not willing to take a big hit. We are tying 240 people and £60,000 in wages into this event. We offered to go ahead if the directors guaranteed they would pay if it folded, but they refused."
He said the security firm had "adequate insurance cover" but had not paid for special "bouncer cover" which the organisers had sought and was needed for events where there was alcohol consumption.
"There is nothing stopping them getting this cover, but we are not paying for it," he said, adding: "We still have not withdrawn the offer of security provided they meet the conditions."
Ms Bannerton said all ticketholders for Millennium Mania would be refunded and the company deeply regretted any inconvenience and upset caused by the decision, which had been forced upon it, to cancel.
Further information is available on 1850 70 80 90.
