from Irish Independent MASSIVE garda resources have been put into place for the U2 concerts at Slane Castle to ensure they pass off peacefully. Garda Superintendent Eamonn Courtney, who is overseeing the security operation on both days, said it would also ensure the fans "have a fun day and a good day".

Around 160,000 fans are expected for the shows a sort of homecoming for the band which 20 years ago played to an audience of just 18,000 attending the first ever concert at the castle. It was headlined by Thin Lizzy. Supt Courtney is overseeing the unprecedented garda operation on both days and says there will be 800 gardai on the ground including teams of undercover detectives targeting ticket touts and drug dealers. The other major issue for the garda is traffic management. From 8pm the night before each concert taking place next Saturday, August 25 and the following Saturday, September 1 no vehicles will be allowed into Slane village. Instead gardai checkpoints will be in place and all vehicles will be diverted off the N2 and away from Slane, which is on the main road between Dublin and Derry, and on to the N1 via Drogheda. A special court will sit throughout both days and all people found with illegal substances will be brought before it to be dealt with on the spot. All concert-goers will be searched for bottles, cans or anything that could be used as a missile and special emphasis is being placed on ticket touts and people with forged tickets. At each of the checkpoints into the village gardai and security staff from Ticketmaster will be examining and electronically scanning each ticket. Garda Chief Superintendent Michael Finnegan said that because of the anticipated number of fans extra officers are being allocated to ensure it only the 80,000 fans with genuine tickets are allowed into the concert site on each day. "From an operational point of view we cannot afford to let anybody through with a fake ticket simply because the concerts are sold out and with crowd control and security concerns, we cannot allow numbers inside in excess of what is legislated and licensed for," he said. Both gardai and Ticketmaster are confident that they have sufficient measures in place to ensure that nobody with a counterfeit ticket, however good the forgery is, will get near the concert site. "We have special units put in place to target ticket touts," he added. The other major safety concern is the danger posed by the River Boyne which in previous years has claimed lives. Warning people about the dangers, castle owner Lord Henry Mountcharles said: "It is known as a hungry river irrespective of concerts. So let the mind appreciate it but don't let the body encounter it." He also appealed for fans to respect the people of Slane and their property. Food and drink will be on sale in the village and at the concert and there is no camping. Gardai are appealing for fans to arrive and leave on the day of the concerts and to co-operate with gardai and stewards. Promoter Eamonn McCann said the second concert will be filmed and will further put Slane on the world map.