Before nine am Saturday morning, Irish media were reporting that tickets for U2's Slane Castle show had already sold out.

The gig, outdoors with a capacity of 80,000, went on sale at 7am this morning and tickets were all gone within 45minutes according to the Irish Independent.

Queues began forming two days ago and hundreds waited out overnight to make sure of tickets to see the first performance from U2 in Ireland since the Pop-Mart tour in Lansdowne Road four years ago.

The show will mark the twentieth anniversary of U2's only previous appearance at Slane when they supported Thin Lizzy. Special guests include American rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers, Brit 2001 winners Coldplay and Kelis, Irish newcomers JJ72 and Relish.

The festival will be the biggest date on U2's Elevation 2001 Tour which kicks off in Miami at the end of March. It will climax the European leg of the tour which begins in July.