Niall Horan at Mullingar Golf Club with Keith Duffy for an Autism Ireland fundraiser last year.

No Cusack Park date for One Direction

Published: Wed 22 May 2013, 4:43 PM

Last updated: Wed 22 May 2013, 5:48 PM

One Direction will not be taking to the stage in Cusack Park in Mullingar this September, it has been confirmed this week.

Speculation was rife in the past week that the world’s biggest boy band could be performing at the GAA grounds in September this year after County Board chairman Seán Sheridan revealed at a recent county board meeting that Cusack Park would be hosting a two-day concert in September, put together by concert promoters.

The concert on Friday and Saturday, September 13 and 14 will generate in the region of €30,000 for Westmeath GAA and led to rumours that One Direction could be about to perform in Niall Horan’s hometown.

It wouldn’t be the first time for Niall to take to the stage in Mullingar since becoming a superstar with the band as he performed during the homecoming celebrations for John Joe Nevin last year, following Nevin’s success at the Olympics.

But fans of Niall and the other One Direction boys will have to wait a while longer to see them perform in Cusack Park, it emerged yesterday (Tuesday).
County Board chairman Seán Sheridan told the Westmeath Independent that he couldn’t reveal who would perform at the two-day concert in September, but added: “I don’t think it will be One Direction, not this year anyway.”

He added, however, that the GAA hopes to bring some big stars to Cusack Park for the event on September 13 and 14 and may be able to reveal the line-up for the concert in the coming weeks.

“It will be a big occasion for Westmeath, Mullingar and everybody involved,” he said.
Mr Sheridan added that while the staging of a concert at Cusack Park is a new departure for Westmeath GAA, they had to move with the times and look after their young players.

He wouldn’t be pressed on who will headline the concert, though, simply saying: “At the moment I can’t say any more.”

Of course, One Direction’s Niall Horan isn’t the only superstar to hail from Westmeath, as last year it was revealed that none other than Bruce Springsteen had links to the Lake County.