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THIS year’s Blessing Of the Graves (BOTG) season is to kick off in style, with the confirmation that legendary DJ Tiesto will play at the Dungarvan service in May.

Tickets for the event sold out in record time, with an expected 70,000 grave-blessers set to attend.

However, fears are growing of a repeat of the BOTG ceremony in Macroom three years ago, when dozens were hospitalised as fighting broke out during a set by the Swedish House Mafia.

Organisers of Tiesto in Dungarvan have issued assurances that this year’s gig will have tighter security in place, with an absolute zero-tolerance policy on intoxication.

“We’re really enforcing the over-65 age limit on this one, to weed out troublemakers,” said Paul Jannings, chief of communications at Jannings Promotions.

“This is going to be a day of fun, music, and holy water. These people just want to come out, bless their graves, say five decades of the rosary and then dance the night away. Any anti-social behaviour will be dealt with severely”.

Organisers are hoping to also avoid a repeat of last year’s controversy, where a 68-year-old woman was pictured performing a sex act on a 72-year-old man, which was shared on social media with the hashtag “BlessingsOfGravesGirl”.