Robbie asks for permission to pay musical tribute to Joe Dolan at upcoming show

Robbie Williams has asked the people of Ireland if he can once again pay tribute to the late great Joe Dolan by singing one of his songs at his concert in Croke Park next summer.

The superstar announced yesterday that he would be playing at the GAA headquarters next August as part of his European tour.

At his last Irish gig in the Aviva in 2017, Williams sang Joe's much-loved hit 'Good Looking Woman' in honour of the Mullingar singer, who was a friend of his father Pete, also a performer.

In fact, as Williams famously recounted on an appearance on the Late Late Show, he was once taken out of his bed as a youngster so that Mullingar's best known son could get forty winks.

“It was so much fun [singing 'Good Looking Woman']. When you do something like that, it’s a tip of the hat but it’s a little stunt.

“You tick a box and you can only do it once but I would ask the good people of Ireland if it’s OK if I do it again, if they wouldn’t be bored of me doing it.”

While acknowledging that it's a common thing for performers to proclaim ahead of a tour, Williams said that Ireland is actually one of his favourite places to play.

“There is something special about the audience here.

“There is a heart that beats and an energy that is created. There are other countries, other audiences that do incredible things, [but] here, it’s unique to the heart of the country.”

Tickets for next August's show in Croke Park go on sale this Friday.