A MEMBER of Irish rebel band The Wolfe Tones has hit out at claims of gunshots heard outside one of their weekend gig, describing it as "anti-Irish discrimination".

Brian Warfield said he would be writing to the police and the Irish ambassador in Edinburgh over the how the incident had been presented.

He said police told the band's sound team that the apparent gunfire heard "could have been a backfiring car or firecracker".

 

The Herald: The 69-year-old Dubliner, a founding member of the band, outlined his concerns in a letter to Belfast-based newspaper The Irish News.

He told the paper reports linking the alleged incident and the band's Barrowlands' concert were "blackening the good name of the world-renowned Wolfe Tones".

Police Scotland is still investigating reports of gunshots outside Sunday's concert.

Loud bangs had been heard on the Gallowgate in Glasgow's east end at around 9.50pm while The Wolfe Tones were performing at the famous venue.

Police were approached by members of the public who had heard the loud bangs at the junction of Gibson Street, right outside the concert venue.

The area was sealed off as specialist search and forensics officers examined the scene.

The Wolfe Tones are named after an 18th century revolutionary regarded as the father of Irish republicanism, and their concerts are popular amongst sections of the Celtic support.

The musician said the reports of gunfire had nothing to do with the Wolfe Tones or those attending the Irish rebel music band's concert.

In his letter, Mr Warfield claimed reports of the incident were "distorted... to a point which implicated the Wolfe Tones".

"It must be pointed out that this incident had nothing to do with the Wolfe Tones or the people at the concert," he said.

He said some reports of the incident "jumped on the bandwagon and wrongly implicated the Wolfe Tones, some reporting that it happened in the hall during the concert, others reporting shooting after the Wolfe Tones concert".

Mr Warfield also criticised what he said was a failure to contact Wolfe Tones or management for the Barrowland Ballroom to comment on the incident.

He added: "I will be writing to the police and to our ambassador in Edinburgh to report anti-Irish and discriminatory reporting of this incident."

In August of this year the Wolfe Tones faced criticism from a councillor of the Unionist DUP after chants of "ooh ah up the Ra" were heard during a performance at Belfast's Ardoyne Fleadh.

At the time Mr Warfield dismissed the outrage from DUP north Belfast councillor Brian Kingston as "nit-picking".