Can tribute acts ease the pain of missing Garth?

Garth Brooks is greeted by fans outside the Rogers County Courthouse

Quinn’s coach hire, which took bookings for return trips to Dublin over the coming weekend, have hinged their bets on a tribute act.

Instead of Dublin and Garth, they are offering a straight transfer to see Garth Brooks The Tribute at Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast on Sunday night (July 27) instead.

Picking up at various points across Tyrone and south Derry, entry into the event is £20, and Quinns have promised “anyone who has pre-booked [a] Garth Brooks travel ticket through Quinns coach hire can transfer their payment [for transport] on to this event”.

Quinns did not want to comment on this alternative event, the details are on their Facebook site.

Meanwhile the Royal Hotel in Cookstown are hosting Garth Brooks tribute, Jason Hughes, whom they say is “definitely coming - guaranteed”.

Playing at the venue on August 16, the hotel’s manager Tanya Thom, told the Mail she had booked the tribute act at the start of the year.

“Everybody loves Garth Brooks”, she said.

One of the many thousands who will take their refund for the real thing with a heavy heart, she added: “He’s a very good tribute act, he played in the Royal a couple of years ago.”

Promising a good mix of the country singer’s work, Tanya said she hopes to hear Friends in Low Places.

Doors open for “the ultimate tribute” to Garth Brooks at 10pm, entry into the event is £5.