Could Slane Castle see two concerts next year?

Slane could be the venue for two rock concerts next year, Lord Henry Mountcharles has confirmed.

He indicated that he was looking at the possibility of two concerts in 2013, as two major acts have come up. "The likelihood is that one will be in June and one in August," he said this week.

He pointed out that there was a precedent for two shows in one year, going back to 2001 when U2 played two concerts, one week apart. "Next year would be a completely different scenario as there would be two separate acts," he added.

He would not comment on who the acts might be, or if they had played at Slane before, but he ruled out U2 playing at Slane next year.

Cllr Wayne Harding said that the Slane concert brought much-needed revenue to local businesses and a badly needed boost to the local economy, but there were a number of recurring problems.

These included the issue of public toilets in the village on the day of the concert and the restrictions on the movement of local residents.

"There is also the question of monetary donations to voluntary groups within the village," he said.

There have been 20 concerts at Slane since the first in 1981, which was headlined by Thin Lizzy and featured emerging Irish act, U2.

Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Madonna, Robbie Williams and, most recently, Kings of Leon, have been among the headline acts over the years.

Each event requires a licence from Meath County Council and many weeks weeks of preparation.