Oasis tease preview of Dublin shows as fans arrive early at Croke Park
When the shock reunion announcement was made last year, the band's legions of Irish fans marked August 16 and 17 in the calendar for a long-awaited weekend that has finally arrived.
The pair's parents were both born in Ireland, with their estranged father from Duleek, Co Meath and their mother Peggy from Charlestown, Co Mayo. Peggy is expected to attend at least one of the two Dublin gigs to watch her reconciled sons perform together.
Streams of gig-goers have arrived in Dublin three hours before the gates are scheduled open, hoping to secure a front-standing spot and have managed to catch the band's final rehearsal and soundcheck before they take to the stage, likely around 8.15pm. Oasis will perform to 80,000 fans each night at Croke Park. (Image: AFP STRINGER, AFP via Getty Images)
In one video uploaded to social media, the live instrumental for Oasis's first number one hit, Some Might Say, from 1995's (What's the Story) Morning Glory? album can be heard in the streets surrounding Croke Park. Noel's backing vocals can be heard later in the video, belting out the "Some Might Say" refrain.
More than 80,000 fans are expected to be in attendance on each night for the band's sold-out shows, with hundreds of them also visiting the venue on Friday night as a dazzling drone display lit up the night sky above Croke Park with the Oasis logo, which has been a prelude to kick off the festivities in Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh to date.
Another video shows even more fans standing outside the stadium recording as Bring It On Down, from the debut Definitely Maybe album, opens from inside the stadium, minus Liam's snarling vocals.
Older brother Noel was spotted socialising in a Maynooth pub the day prior to the opening show alongside girlfriend Sally Mash. The 58-year-old was surrounded by fans and well-wishers as he was escorted from Brady's Clockhouse pub to a car and whisked away.
According to the band's social media accounts, the gates at Croke Park will open from 5pm, with '90s indie rockers Cast serving as the openers from 6pm. An hour later, from 7pm, Richard Ashcroft, of The Verve, will perform for a little over an hour, up until 8.15, before Oasis take to the stage.
The main performance is expected to last around two hours as the band powers through a 23-song hitlist with a scheduled finish time of 10.15pm, though the performance could run past this time.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Gallagher brothers dedicate Oasis track to beloved mother at Croke Park show
The Gallagher brothers have dedicated a hit Oasis track to the people of Charlestown - where their beloved mother hails from, before dedicating another track to Peggy. "Anyone here from Mayo, Charlestown,' Liam Gallagher asked the crowd as they prepared to play Roll With It. The crowd erupted into cheers before Liam clarified, telling everyone: "There's only about five people there, you can't all be f*****g from there." He then dedicated the hit tune to the people from Charlestown in Mayo, where the Gallagher brother's mother Peggy and late grandmother, Margaret, hail from. Liam also blew his brother Noel a cheeky kiss before they played the track. Liam dedicated Stand By Me to Peggy, who is in the crowd this evening. No doubt proud as punch to see her two boys back together in her home country. The band then busted into Talk Tonight, Half The World Away, D'You Know What I Mean before dedicating Stand By Me to Peggy. Liam said: "I wanna play this one to me mam, me mams in tonight!" Oasis on stage in Croke Park Oasis have arrived in Ireland to play two sold-out shows in front of what promises to be a buzzing Croke Park crowd. More than 80,000 'mad fer it' fans will attend each concert on Saturday and Sunday (August 16 and 17), which have been marked by the band's now traditional drone show above the venue ahead of this weekend's festivities. A pint of Guinness at Croke Park for the shows will cost punters €7.35, while a Rockshore pint will set you back €8. Cider is the same at €8 a pop, while a 187ml of red, white or rose wine costs €9. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Oasis take to the stage at Croke Park
Oasis have taken to the stage at Croke Park for their first Irish performance since 2009, kicking off right on time at 8.15pm. Liam Gallagher appeared in a green Kangol jacket, with Noel in a white shirt, as the band launched into their opening song Hello. The pre-gig mix had set the mood with tracks including Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac's Oh Well, and Luke Kelly's version of The Auld Triangle. Greeting the crowd, Liam shouted: "Dublin City in the area!" He then quipped: "I think I'm a Croke Park virgin! We haven't played here before, have we? All I do know is this is the soberest I've been in Ireland since I was about four or five or something like that! "We missed you, you lunatics!" After they belted out a number of tracks Liam asked the crowd: "Is there anyone here from Mayo, Charlestown?" When the crowd cheered he said: "You're not all from there there's only around five f****** people from there." He then dedicated Roll With It to them. Set list so far: Hello Acquiesce Morning Glory Some Might Say Bring It On Down Cigarettes & Alcohol Fade Away Supersonic Roll With It Talk Tonight Half The World Away D'you Know What I Mean More to follow... Reporting by Alan Corr and Samantha Libreri from Croke Park
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
'Stuck in my head all these years later': Readers on their memories of Oasis in Ireland
EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING as fans prepare for Oasis' long-awaited return to the stage this weekend, with two shows at Dublin's Croke Park kicking off soon. It's been more than six years since the band last played in Ireland, and the chance to see Liam and Noel Gallagher live has sparked waves of nostalgia for those who were there the first time around. Oasis may be from Manchester, but their Irish connections run deep, and their music has always found a passionate audience across the country. From chaotic festival crowds to unforgettable first concerts, from first crushes in the mosh pit to lifelong memories of singing along to every song, Irish fans have plenty of stories to tell. Here are a few of your fond memories of Oasis in Ireland. Rollerblade rescue Vicki Bergin and her friends were living in Dorset Street in 1996 when they heard Oasis were playing Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Excitement quickly turned to panic a week before the gig when they lost the keys to their flat. 'We spent hours searching, and ended up late for work pretending the flat had been broken into,' she said. 'Just to be safe, we hid our ten Oasis tickets in a pair of old, battered rollerblades.' That evening, when they returned home, the flat had indeed been broken into, and everything of value was gone – except the tickets. 'We couldn't believe our luck!' The group made it to Páirc Uí Chaoimh for a gig that Vicki called 'unforgettable'. 'From the train journey down, when the whole carriage was singing Oasis songs together, to the electric atmosphere on the streets, and of course, the concert itself was absolutely incredible.' 'We were so lucky, and it turned out to be an unforgettable experience.' A gig cut short Michael from Raheny remembers seeing Oasis at the height of their fame in March 1996 at the Point. 'The gig was absolutely packed, and the hysteria when they came on stage was unreal,' he recalls. This excitement would only last so long, however. The crowd were – as the lads would say themselves – 'mad for it', but the gig only lasted for an hour and a bit. The Friday night set was cut short because Noel Gallagher had to dash to RTÉ Studios for an appearance on The Late Late Show. Advertisement CR's Video Vaults / YouTube 'His mam, who is Irish herself, insisted that he show up,' Michael said. 'Apparently she told Noel that he would be in major trouble if he didn't make it out to Gay Byrne.' 'People were a bit disappointed at first,' Michael says, 'but then, seeing Noel perform Wonderwall live on Irish television, you couldn't really be mad. 'It was classic Oasis chaos.' Slane first-timer Niamh Crudden still remembers her first festival experience vividly – REM at Slane in 1995, with Oasis supporting. Only 13 at the time and without a parent, she was down near the front when a crowd surge caused some chaos. 'I got hit in the head and was taken to a first aid tent, in case of concussion, and kept there for a while,' she said. Crowds at a concert in Slane Castle. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'Apart from all that it was a brilliant day.' I was only 13 but nobody batted an eye back then. Sure I only lived down the road. 'Everyone from Meath and Louth seemed to be there anyway.' 'What a gig' Macdara Ferris, a Dublin native, saw Oasis in 1994 at Dublin's Tivoli Theatre, which has since been demolished and replaced by a hotel. 'Paid £6.75 for the ticket, some randomer threw up on my trainers, and I thought my hearing was damaged as my ears were still ringing the next day after hearing them play in such a small venue,' he recalled. 'They played a cover of the Beatles song 'I am the Walrus' as their encore – had that song going round in my head for days after. 'What a gig! Still stuck in my head all these years later.' 'Mad fer it!' Fiona Wyse from Navan, Co Meath said that her love of Oasis began in 1995, when her parents took her to see REM in Slane. 'After that, I was hooked! Some of the standout shows include 1997 in the Point Depot, when Noel had to stand in for Liam,' she said. 'I was distraught at the prospect of not having the best frontman ever singing, but little did we know, Noel's acoustic set would be something really special, it really made up for it.' The highlight for Fiona, however, was a family trip to Cork. 'Back in the days when you actually had to ring Ticketmaster to get a ticket and speak to a human – how joyful! We drove down in my sister's red Toyota Starlet with another one of my sisters and stayed in some random B&B.' Related Reads From set list to stage times - everything to know about this weekend's Oasis gigs Oasis tickets bought with dynamic pricing are on 'ethical' resale websites abroad for over €560 'You do have to wonder about the mental state of our parents when they decided to take the whole brood on a five-person family trip to see Oasis. 'I guess you could say they were 'mad fer it!'' Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Lifelong fan Lorraine Ryan still remembers her first Oasis gig in Cork in 1994, and the excitement started long before she even got there. Her dad, who passed away when she was in her early twenties, was a huge influence on her love of music. 'I remember him singing 'Don't Look Back in Anger' around the house. He used to say, 'Lorraine, these guys are going to be one of the biggest bands in the world someday. Mark my words.'' She was only 15 when she got a ticket, and her dad was thrilled for her. 'I still remember what I wore (blue hipsters and a black top) and I've still got the ticket in the attic.' The bus ride from Clare was filled with singing along to their Oasis tapes, and yes, a little too much cider for her age. Once Oasis hit the stage, Lorraine was spellbound. Oasis in concert in 1997. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'I stood there in awe, singing my heart out. Liam was a bit cranky that day, giving out to the crowd for throwing bottles, but thankfully he stayed. Prodigy supported, and nearly brought the house down.' Fast forward to the announcement of the comeback tour – Lorraine had ten people trying to get her tickets that morning, but no luck. 'I couldn't believe I wasn't going to see the lads back together again,' she said. Then, a short text from her husband: 'I've a surprise for you!' When she asked what it was, the suspense nearly killed her. 'You're going to Oasis Sunday!' she read. I actually cried with joy, I'm so excited. Best surprise ever, roll on Sunday. Now 46, Lorraine is ready for the gig, still as excited as ever. 'I wish my dad was here to see it. I know he'd be so proud – and probably smug that he called it right all those years ago.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
