Irish Oasis fans braced for ‘manic’ ticket sales for Dublin shows

The confirmation that Oasis will reunite next summer, with concert dates announced in Dublin, has generated huge excitement among the band’s Irish fanbase.

Tens of thousands of fans will be bracing themselves to snap up the coveted tickets, which go on sale on Saturday at 8am.

The Britpop band, who split nearly 15 years ago and released their chart-topping album Definitely Maybe three decades ago, will perform at Croke Park on August 16 and 17.

Within minutes of the band confirming the Oasis Live 25 tour, hotel rooms in the city were selling out, with the remaining availability costing more than €500 for one night.

Irish premier Simon Harris, who admitted he favours Oasis over Blur, said: “The decision of the Gallagher brothers to get back together will come as great news to many music fans in Ireland and across the world.

“The fact that they’ve chosen to play two major gigs in Croke Park is great news again for music fans but also great news for the Irish economy.”

Asked about rising hotel prices in the Irish capital for the dates around the gigs, Mr Harris said: “I would encourage everybody to engage fairly in relation to this. The issues around price gouging, around hiking up things at major events, doesn’t actually help anyone, because it ends up giving our city, our country a bad reputation.

“It is much more in the interest, I believe, of hoteliers and others to act responsibly in relation to this: Let people come to Dublin, let them have a good time, and then say ‘I want to go back again’ – and I’m sure that’s what hoteliers will do.”

On some travel websites, it stated that 98% of places to stay are unavailable for that weekend in August.

Fans across Ireland have been reacting to the news that Liam and Noel Gallagher have regrouped after they fell out during a backstage brawl in Paris in 2009.

The Manchester-born brothers have Irish parents. Their mother Peggy is from Charlestown in Co Mayo, and their father Tommy is from Duleek in Co Meath.

John Finan, who runs JJ Finan’s pub in Charlestown, said the Gallagher family, including their maternal grandmother, are frequent visitors to his bar.

He said that Liam sang in his pub one night during a trad session.

“They are two very talented lads and they have done very well for themselves,” Mr Finan told RTE’s Today with Claire Byrne show.

“I’m delighted for them.

“Liam sang (at the pub) one night during a session. He sang a song with us. It was a big honour to have a man like him singing in my pub.

“I know their mother Peggy and the sister.

“They (the Gallaghers) would have been regulars around the town over the summers.

“The brothers are very modest and two gentlemen. They said they liked the pub and came in to us an odd time.

“It’s good to see them back together again and I hope they stay together.”

Irish superfan Jamie Rosney said: “I’m over the moon. Someone had to knock Taylor Swift off her perch.

“There’s been so many rumours over the years (of a reunion), you kind of just get used to listening to them.

“And with them both having such good solo careers it just didn’t really register that it could happen, I suppose.

“I went to see them in Lansdowne Road in the 2000 tour when my mother got tickets for Christmas.

“I think was in about 13 at the time. I was sent to that and they had actually fallen out and Noel had walked off the tour about two weeks before that in France.

“I didn’t even know if it was going to go ahead.

“I’ve been to see them every time they have come to Ireland, and between 2000 and 2009, probably six or seven times over that couple years.”

Asked what he likes the much about the band, he said: “Ah they are just working class people and they write the songs that people want to hear, and no matter where you play an Oasis song, whether it’s seven o’clock in the morning or 12 o’clock at night, everyone knows the words.

“They’re just people’s people.

“The split was heart-breaking for all the fans around the world. Everyone was obsessed with them at the time, and in the middle of a tour it was hard to sink in.

“When you went to see them separately it took the brunt out it, because you are still hearing the songs.

“Then hearing they are getting back together, it’s just bananas. It’s going to manic.”