Maybe not the whole five nights though.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has expressed a desire to see Garth Brooks play a Cork gig, rather than focusing all of his attention on Dublin.

In the latest evidence that time is a flat circle, country music icon Brooks has sought permission to play five nights at Croke Park next year – a repeat of the plans that caused such a fiasco in 2014. Opposition from residents’ groups saw Brooks’ residency at GAA headquarters cut to three nights, at which point he gave an ultimatum of ‘five or none.’

Infamously, Brooks ended up playing none, and has not returned to Ireland since.

However, the tide appeared to turn earlier this week, with permission granted for Brooks to play three nights at Croker next year — on September 9th, 10th and 11th. The issue still has the potential to turn contentious, with Brooks seeking permission to also play on September 16th and 17th.

Presumably sensing the battle for five nights on the horizon, the Taoiseach put forward the idea that Brooks could play some nights in Cork. Speaking in New York, Martin said he “would actually” like to attend a Brooks concert before adding “we could have a few in Cork as well, you know.”

“We have had a tough 18 month of this pandemic and it’s great now that people are coming back to perform and that we have concerts.”

Header image via Twitter/@garthbrooks