Wonderwall of sound reverberates in Slane

It doesn"t matter who headlines Slane, the magnitude of the event and the supremely enjoyable occasion that it is will always attract a full house. Saturday was no different as 80,000 revellers descended on the quiet Meath village for a day they will never forget. Unfortunately, the joy of a great day was spoiled by a disappointing night as many travelling on public transport had to wait up to four hours after the traditional end-of-concert fireworks had disappeared into the night sky over Slane Castle before they left the vicinity. For many others, the queues for a drink and to use the facilities were also a thorny issue. Many lined up for over an hour to wrap their lips around a cold beer and some that did make it to the top of the queue were met with 'bar closed" signs. 'It was a great concert and one of the finests gigs I"ve been at here. However, I was very disappointed with the waiting time to try to get a drink. We had to queue up for ages and when we got to the bar, we could only get two drinks at a time,' commented Mike Newman from Trim. 'I heard loads of people had trouble getting home after the gig, but not us. We were on our bus and back home for a pint before closing time. Oasis were brilliant, but The Prodigy stole the show for me.' That review of the gig appeared to be the general consensus from most punters as they made their way through the castle grounds back out onto the Navan road to sit and wait in heavy traffic. Most were thoroughly satisfied with their experience, but almost all agreed that The Prodigy had stolen the show, although Oasis were superb. 'This is my first Slane and I"ve got to say that it has been totally brilliant. I never thought the whole place would be so perfectly laid out. We enjoyed the craic in the VIP area and it was great to have that comfort,' commented Summerhill girl, Yvonne Grey. 'We did go out into the crowd for a while and there was a great atmosphere out there, too, but there was something about the comfort of the VIP area that made it all the more special. It was a great day, but I have to say that The Prodigy were brilliant. Roll on next year.' But the enduring memory for some people after the show was the nightmare travelling experience. Chaos on the roads and poor lighting and signage left many concert-goers in the dark. 'It was an abolutely brilliant concert, there can be no denying that, but the aftermath was a bit disappointing. Our group got split up and there was no real organisation out on the road to help people get to their buses,' said Neil Mooney from Trim. 'There was some trouble in the queues to get to the bar but, for the most part, the day passed off smoothly until it got to the night. It was still a great occasion. The Prodigy stole the show, but Oasis certainly didn"t disappoint either.' The verdict was in and it was unanimous. The music and occasion were both winners, but all agreed that the organisation needs to improve if this top-class rock venue is to maintain its proud tradition of putting on the greatest show on earth.