Historically, Ireland has been known as a predominantly Catholic nation. However, a new form of devotion was evident at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on a recent Friday, when a young fan declared Taylor Swift to be her faith, offering her adoration to the steward. He responded by suggesting God could indeed be as attractive as the famous singer before directing the girls to their standing location.
The long-anticipated Irish branch of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ had at last commenced, an event some might dub the ‘Éire’s Tour. To the fervent fans who attended the first of three sell-out concerts, it was a celebration akin to Christmas. The anticipation had been palpably growing since tickets had been on sale one year prior.
By the weekend’s culmination, Swift would have entertained 150,000 attendees over the course of the three Dublin shows, excluding those ticketless fans gathered outside the venue to catch a glimpse of her three and a half hour performance.
In this unique ‘Church of Swift,’ attendees were adorned in sequins, fringes and cowboy boots, swapping traditional religious symbols for friendship bracelets. Religious hymns were replaced by tracks from the pop star’s broad music collection.
Twenty-nine-year-old Kaitlyn Younes traveled from Florida specifically for the concert. Having procured the tickets, she seized the opportunity to finally visit Ireland. Kaitlyn, wearing a skirt stitched from nearly 300 handmade friendship bracelets symbolizing each song Swift has penned, commented on the months she spent in concert preparation.
Swift’s appeal spans across various age groups, with the audience comprising both youngsters and senior individuals. A father accompanying his children wore a tee shirt proclaiming himself as ‘the Swiftie dad,’ while another admitted to being a Swiftie by his daughter’s persuasion.
As is customary, Swift kicked-off her concert singing the chorus from ‘Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince’, proceeding onto her popular track ‘Cruel Summer.’
Ciara, Lucy, and Rachel McGrath, sisters from Newry, were among the expectant crowd huddled outside Aviva Stadium, anxiously awaiting the release of more tickets. Their determination was palpable, and they expressed their willingness to journey back from Newry if needed.
Taylor Swift, amidst the echoing screams of her ardent fans, finished her opening track and expressed her exuberance over the Dublin crowd. She was taken aback by the overwhelming warmth that swelled in her heart, thanking her audience and shouting back “Ireland!” after the performance.
Fans’ fervour in the lead-up to the concert was evident. Robyn Geraghty, a 16-year-old from Galway, made the trip after meticulously accentuating her outfit with glittering stars and diamonds. Her main focus was to dazzle the crowd and primarily, her icon, Taylor Swift.
The audience also included veteran followers. Eleanor Jeffreys, along with her sister Elizabeth, made the trip from Newry. As a Swift fan since the tender age of 11, Eleanor, who turns 27 next month, fondly recollected the Speak Now tour back in 2011 and shared her journey – growing along with Taylor Swift’s musical evolution. She finds her relatability timeless, having never outgrown her admiration for the pop star whose tours she never misses.