Rock singer Bono fulfilled his U2 concert obligation last night at London's Earls Court, within hours of his father's death in Dublin from cancer.
Mr Bob Hewson, who was 75, had been ill for some time and the singer had been flying back to Dublin each night during the band's current Elevation 2001 Tour to spend time with him. Bono dedicated the song Kite to his father at U2's concert in London at the weekend.
Last night, a spokeswoman for the band said the funeral details had yet to be finalised. She felt the family would prefer to keep it as private as possible.
U2, one of the world's most successful rock bands, is due to play the first of two dates at Slane Castle on Saturday. The gigs will be their first stadium concert on home soil since 1997.
The Irish Red Cross yesterday reminded U2 fans that "a few easy safety steps" would ensure their enjoyment. It advised them to follow the "top 10 tips for safety which last year led to a drop in casualty figures" at Slane:
Bring additional clothes - even if it is warm at the start of the day.
Bring something waterproof, preferably a light anorak.
Wear sun protection.
Fair-haired people and those with thinning hair should wear a hat.
Women should bring sanitary protection even if they think it unnecessary.
Designate a meeting place at the venue itself at which to meet friends.
People with chronic conditions, such as asthma, epilepsy or diabetes, should wear medical alert bracelets.
Everyone should have some form of written identification, such as their name and a next-of-kin contact number.
Wear comfortable shoes.
All concert-goers should eat something substantial before setting out and should drink plenty of water at the concert. The Red Cross is adamant that drugs and excessive alcohol must be avoided.
Figures from last year's concert at Slane suggest a number of medical conditions that led to acute illness or injury in the past had diminished. "In particular, only a small number of asthma sufferers required Red Cross assistance, contrasting with previous years when scores of asthmatics sought medical aid." This indicated that asthmatics had heeded warnings to bring their inhalers with them.
The Red Cross noted that following its warnings last year no one at the Slane concert had sought treatment for sexual assault. Concern had been raised at the time following reports that a small number of women had suffered sexual assaults after consuming "colourless, odourless and tasteless drugs" at some events prior to last year's concert.