New chapter for Slane Community Forum as concert fund debate continues

Slane Community Forum is entering a new chapter following the resignation of its previous committee last month, with a new chairman now in place as questions continue over community representation and the administration of the Slane Concert Community Benefit Fund.

The changes come as Meath County Council establishes a Liaison Committee to oversee engagement with the community on the fund, while MCD Productions prepares to apply for licences for four concerts at Slane Castle next year.

Ronan Coleman was elected chairman of the Forum following a closely contested vote at a meeting on Monday, 2nd November, winning by 19 votes to 18.

In a statement following his election, Mr Coleman acknowledged the division reflected in the narrow result, saying his priority would be to work with everyone in the village, regardless of how they had voted.

"The narrow result reflects a division that we need to work to overcome for the good of the village. My responsibility now is to listen to and work with everyone, whichever way they voted," he said.

He said concerns about community representation around concerts had prompted him to seek the position, adding that he remained committed to securing a stronger community voice, proper protections for residents and businesses, and a fair share of the benefits concerts bring.

The changes come amid continuing discussion about the Community Benefit Fund and the composition of the Liaison Committee which will oversee engagement between the community and Meath County Council in relation to the fund.

At Thursday's Laytown-Bettystown Municipal District meeting, Independent councillor Carol Lennon, who is based in Laytown, and Slane-based Fianna Fáil councillor Wayne Harding were selected as the two councillor representatives on the Liaison Committee.

However, Slane Community Forum has called on Meath County Council to give consideration to a motion passed at its meeting earlier this week , which sought to have candidates selected to serve on the Liaison Committee chosen by the Forum itself.

The motion was carried by an overwhelming majority at a meeting attended by representatives of 39 local organisations, according to the Forum.

The Forum stated that it was sent to all seven councillors and several council executives, but that it had not received a response.

Fine Gael councillor Paddy Meade expressed disappointment after failing to secure a place on the Liaison Committee, having spent the previous three months seeking changes to the proposed fund scheme.

The Lobinstown-based councillor said he had raised concerns about the original three-kilometre geographical boundary, which he believed excluded parts of the wider Slane parish, including Monknewtown, where Slane GFC, Rossin Rovers and Monknewtown Tennis Club are located.

"Over the past three months, I have been working to fine-tune this scheme, raising issues with the Council and getting improvements made as we went along," Cllr Meade said.

He welcomed progress towards including the wider parish but said the final geographical area would now be proposed by the new Liaison Committee before being submitted to the Council for approval.

Cllr Meade said it was disappointing not to have a direct role on the committee after his involvement in seeking improvements to the scheme, particularly as he believed there were still areas requiring clarification.

The Community Benefit Fund was established as part of the licensing arrangements for the two Luke Combs concerts at Slane Castle in July this year, with MCD committing €61,000 for local initiatives. The contribution represented an increase on the €30,000 initially proposed by the promoters.

Other arrangements secured for the local community included access to concert tickets and residents' passes, which MCD took responsibility for distributing, as well as opportunities for local organisations to participate in the Deposit Return Scheme and volunteer roles linked to the events.

Meath County Council is responsible for administering the €61,000 community fund.

The developments come as MCD Productions prepares to apply for event licences for four concerts at Slane Castle in 2027.

MCD has indicated its intention to apply to Meath County Council for licences to hold two Fontaines D.C. concerts on Saturday, 26th June and Sunday, 27th June followed by two Oasis concerts on Saturday, 4th and 5th September.

The notices indicate an anticipated attendance of 83,200 people at each concert, in addition to guests and staff.

The applications will be made under Part 16 of the Planning and Development Act 2024. Once received, they will be available for public inspection at Meath County Council's planning department for five weeks, with submissions and observations invited within three weeks of receipt.

Meath County Council has been contacted for comment