Accessibility issues raised at Cork's Live at the Marquee venue

AIKEN Promotions have said staff are in place to provide assistance to people with accessible tickets, after issues were raised at the popular concert Live at the Marquee series.

The event series returned to Cork at the end of last month at a brand new venue — their third move since the first summer concert series 19 years ago.

However, accessibility issues have been raised at the new site on the Centre Park Rd.

Music fans reported a long distance from parking facilities to the venue, along with a surface that was “downright dangerous”.

Gene O’Keeffe was at the Van Morrison concert on Friday, May 31, and had to get a general access ticket as all the accessible tickets were sold out — having to park a significant distance from the venue and travel over coarse gravel.

Mr O’Keeffe told The Echo: “Getting out of the car, even parking, I could see there would be an issue.

“People put gravel on their driveway and that’s fine, but these were rocks that someone had rolled with a steamroller.

“It was absolutely atrocious,” he said, explaining that he tried to move along, at which point the staff that were supervising the car park came over briefly, and he told them “this is mad, it’s totally unsuitable”.

The staff he spoke to were “not interested”, Mr O’Keeffe said.

He said that he had been to previous concerts at the former Live at the Marquee site, but that the new venue was considerably worse for accessibility.

He described it as “poor venue provision of disabled driving spots, it was downright dangerous, an appalling surface to ask people to use.

“I was up on my back wheels trying to make my way to the concert,” he said.

Cork couple Trisha and Brian Hurley described helping another person at the Gavin James concert on Saturday, May 25, after they noticed “the stones and grit were sticking to the man’s hands”.

A spokesperson for Aiken promotions told The Echo: “We are aware that there was an issue at one of the concerts, but there are staff in place specifically to provide assistance to those who have accessible tickets.

“When ticket holders who have pre-booked parking arrive, there is a reserved accessible parking area and we will have staff there to meet them and assist them.

“For those with accessible tickets not arriving by car, there are extra staff at the gate,” they said, adding: “Please give yourself plenty of time.”