Queen at Slane Castle, Ireland 1986

On 5 July 1986, rock group Queen played at Slane Castle, County Meath.

An estimated 80,000 fans paid £15 to see the band. Gardaí reported that there was some trouble when part of a wooden barrier at the side of the stage was torn down and security men turned water hoses on a small group of people who were attempting to get backstage. Around seventy people were arrested for minor offences. A total of six hundred security guards and a thousand Gardaí were on duty at the concert to quell the trouble.

The fans were in Slane to enjoy six hours of music.

Other bands performing on the day included The Hits, Chris Rea, The Fountainhead, and The Bangles.

This RTÉ News report shows Queen arriving at the venue before taking the stage where lead singer Freddie Mercury appeared out of a puff of smoke wearing a crown. The opening number was ‘One Vision’. Together for fourteen years, Queen have sold over 100 million records. Despite this many music critics were unimpressed with Queen’s performance describing it as boring.

Speculation is that David Bowie will top the bill at Slane in 1987.

An RTÉ News report broadcast on 7 July 1986. The reporter is Joe O’Brien.