“Gutted, sad and disappointed.” That’s how many locals felt this week the cancellation of Garth Brooks’ five concert Comeback Special Event at Croke Park sank in.

The ticket return process has been outlined by Ticketmaster as follows: On July 15 a full refund including service charge will automatically be debited to the card used to make the purchase. Please allow 7-10 working days for the refund to reach your account.

If you bought tickets at a Ticketmaster ticket centre you are required to complete a refund form and either post this to Ticketmaster or hand the completed refund form to a Ticketmaster Ticket Centre along WITH YOUR GARTH BROOKS tickets. Please make a note of the show date and your seat details and retain the left hand portion of the refund form for your records.

A refund form is also available to download from Ticketmaster.ie. It must be returned along with the tickets.

Ticketmaster will contact anyone who paid by Laser Card to obtain updated payment details.

Individuals who purchased tickets from unauthorised ticket sellers will need to contact that ticket seller to obtain a refund.

Concert promoters Aiken Promotions said they “exhausted all avenues regarding the staging of this event” and “are very disappointed for the 400,000 fans”. The ticket return process is “unprecedented”, they said.

Enniskillen-based country star Nathan Carter is also saddened by the news. He had been billed to support Brooks on Monday, July 28 and Tuesday, July 29.

Nathan Carter “Very sad to hear the news that Garth Brooks has had to cancel his shows in Ireland. I am a big fan and it is still a dream come true to have been asked to support him.” Joanne Breen, from Bellanaleck “I am absolutely gutted.

We had 10 tickets for the Sunday night. We had hotels booked as well.

I saw him in Croker 17 years ago so I have been waiting a while for this.

I think Ireland is probably a worldwide laughing stock. It is great that they can turn away the revenue he would have brought to the country when they are crawling out of a recession!

I’m a bit annoyed that Garth wouldn’t even do the three concerts either but I suppose he has a point.

Licences should have been granted before tickets went on sale! It could have been organised better.” Dan Donohoe, living in Enniskillen “I camped outside Multisound in Cavan for two nights! It was cold but we kept our spirits up by singing Garth Brooks’ songs and drinking from flasks of tea. There were four of us and we got four tickets each.

Despite queuing for two nights, when we reached the ticket machine it broke down! It was the most stressful 40 minutes of my life. When they got it up and running again the promoters had announced the Sunday gig so we got tickets for the Sunday.

We were making a whole weekend of it, booking into the Camden Court Hotel and we were going to do lots of touristy things.

Now, I am so disheartened and disappointed. I’ve been a fan since childhood. I remember watching his Irish concert 17 years ago and being mesmerised by his energy.

It does help that so many people are in the same boat as me; what about the people flying from Australia or USA?

The country is on its knees; this is typical Ireland – cut off its nose to spite its face!

I’m pretty angry at Dublin City Council so we might go to Galway for the weekend and spend our money there instead.

But, I woke up this morning and it’s a beautiful day. I thought about people who are ill or who are living in war zones. When you put it into perspective, not getting to a concert is the last of their worries.” Jack and Peggy McDowell, from Enniskillen Jack: “It’s a disaster. It’s very bad for tourism and it’s especially bad for Dublin.

It’s all very confusing. Who has the money and when will those people get it back?” Peggy: “I am a fan. I don’t blame Garth Brooks. He was misled. I wonder what happens with the people who bought extra tickets to sell them on?” Franky and Stella Maguire, Glenfarne, County Leitrim Franky: “It’s a pure mess. Some people have been robbed. There’s no compensation for the troubles they will have with hotels.

It was a terrible decision at the last minute. There was no room for talking about it.

I don’t like the singer; I’m not a fan. But so many people paid their money for it. It’s bad for the country.

I play the fiddle and I prefer traditional Irish music.” Stella: “I know nothing about Garth Brooks.” Bernie and Aoife Maguire, Enniskillen Bernie: “I was told two days before all this was announced that my friend had bought us two tickets to see Garth Brooks for my birthday at the end of July.

I am disappointed because I was looking forward to a fun weekend.

I love American Country but I prefer Tim McGraw and The Dixie Chicks.

I am sad and dubious about the whole situation. I hear the guards are now investigating the signatures on the petition.

Aoife: “None of my friends had ever really heard about him and they listen to country music. I guess this means that that’s Nathan Carter out the window too.”