Yes, this is the real life and not just a fantasy.
This is the story of a woman determined to get to a gig.
Not any old gig. This was Queen at Slane.
Carmel Travers wanted to see The Greatest Showman.
The King Of Queen himself:
Anna told the Muireann O'Connell show she was at home with her family chatting about concerts…..when her mum told her about the time she went to see Queen at Slane in 1986.
Anna googled the concert and put a slideshow of images up on the TV.
There they spotted this woman near the front STRAIGHT AWAY – wearing a blue jacket – and it was her Mum!
Carmel – 19 years of age – UP THE FRONT in an AMAZING photo with Freddie Mercury!
She told Muireann "I was only 19 and had just moved from England to Donegal. I Had NO IDEA where Slane was……but after seeing Queen on Live Aid on TV, I had to go see them live.
So, myself and my my friend Michelle HITCH HIKED to Slane!"
And in classic old school fashion they brought 3 essentials –
- Bin bags to sleep in
- Chocolate
- 2 litres of Smithwicks
She is the champion my friend.
So in 1986 mum thumbed her way from Donegal to Meath without a ticket for Queen... 33 years later finds out she’s in a photo with Freddie♀️ pic.twitter.com/JpqLX8lLM4
— Anna Travers (@annarosetravers) January 23, 2019
Over 80,000 people went to the concert in 1986.
It was the biggest show Slane had seen and the farewell tour of Queen.
Here's how RTE reported it at the time.
