Member of Westlife attacked in Sligo

The first of Westlife's Dublin concerts went ahead last night as planned despite an incident in which one of the band's members…

The first of Westlife's Dublin concerts went ahead last night as planned despite an incident in which one of the band's members required hospital treatment early yesterday.

Gardai in Sligo confirmed that they were investigating a scuffle outside a takeaway restaurant in the town in which Kian Egan suffered slight facial injuries. He was treated in the casualty department of Sligo General Hospital before being released.

Speaking at Dublin's Point Theatre before the concert, Mr Egan said he had been visiting his home town for the first time since Christmas.

"Two guys jumped me, basically," he said. "The guards arrived and they insisted I go to casualty, because I suppose I was in shock. But I'm fine."

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The incident occurred outside an Abrakebabra restaurant in Grattan Street at about 3.45 a.m.

The band had begun their Irish tour with concerts at Belfast's Odyssey Arena at the weekend and last night's performance was the first of 11 dates at the Point Theatre, finishing on April 1st.

The 70,000 tickets for the Dublin concerts have been sold out since last year.

Earlier this month the promoters rejected an appeal from the Department of Agriculture to postpone the performances because of the foot-and-mouth scare.

Frank McNally

Frank McNally

Frank McNally is an Irish Times journalist and chief writer of An Irish Diary