Flatley praises a 'great man'

"He was a genius as a musician and a dancer, "Flatley said. "The press at times were horribly unfair to this man. The media tend to make fun of things they can't understand. I knew MIchael as a man, not just a performer, and he was a great man.The world will miss this wonderful person and his moving performances. My heart goes out to his family.

Irish fans out of pocket after buying tickets, flights and accommodation for Jackson's concerts in London were phlegmatic about their financial loss. Ian Whitty, from Waterford, spent €2,500 on VIP tickets and accommodation. "I spent 24 hours online to get two tickets for a London concert," he said.

Emmet O'Gara from Roscommon, booked four tickets at a cost of €88 each. Although he had not received them, he said he would like to have them as a collector's item. "It's like when Kurt Cobain from Nirvana died before his Irish gig, the tickets became valuable and people held onto them." he said.

"It would be nice to keep the Jackson tickets."