Garth's got no friends in hotel places

Fans of country crooner face rising accommodation prices

- MICHELLE FLEMING

WE thought tomorrow would never come but it's getting closer - and it will soon be time to dust off the stetsons and cowboy boots for Garth Brooks' fabled five-nighter at Croke Park.

But fans eagerly awaiting his first visit in 24 years who are without a hotel booked or friends near Croker offering them a bed for the night are in for a fright.

Rocketing hotel prices when megastars come to town are nothing new.

But with beds already costing a fortune on a regular weeknight in Dublin, how much can gig-goers expect to shell out for a hooley and a hook to hang their hat after one of the biggest gigs of the year?

As far back as January, Garth fans were in a tizzy. One poor girl from Cork was on Tripadvisor looking for a bed eight months before the country crooner was due to touch down in Ireland for his only European shows this year.

She'd been quoted a jaw-dropping €800 (and the rest) for a couple of nights in Dublin.

Back then, one helpful user advised: "Try find a hotel on the outskirts and then use public transport or taxi - the area around Dublin Airport would be the best due to the number of low cost rooms available for travellers".

Now, many hotels near Dublin Airport, like the Travelodge and the Holiday Inn, are booked up with Ukrainian refugees.

We found a twin room at the Travelodge Dublin Airport North in Swords for €318, but with taxis rarer than hens' teeth most nights, the outskirts are far from ideal unless you plan to hike it home.

We chanced finding a room somewhere near the action, a few kilometres around Croke Park. Unsurprisingly, the Croke Park Hotel was booked out long ago for Garth's gigs on September 9, 10, 11, 16 and 17 - his last-ever stadium concerts.

Word of warning: if you're planning to go and haven't a bed booked yet, you may need a lie-down...