Legend McCartney rocks O2

Beatles legend Paul McCartney paid tribute last night to his former Irish guitarist Henry McCullough who was once with him in Wings.

The Portstewart-born McCullough was part of the pioneering Irish folk-rock band Sweeney's Men before he joined McCartney just after The Beatles split up in 1971.

McCartney dedicated My Love, a song he wrote about his deceased wife Linda, to McCullough.

“In the audience is the guy who played the original solo with Wings, a good Irish lad. Give a round of applause to Henry McCullough,” said McCartney. The spotlight found McCullough who was sitting in one of the balcony seats.

McCartney played in front of a capacity audience at the O2 in what was his first-ever indoor solo concert in Ireland. His set clocked in at three hours and included three encores.

It was top heavy with Beatles classics starting with Magical Mystery Tour and Drive My Car and finishing with Yesterday, Helter Skelter and Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band.

He dedicated Here Today which he wrote for "my dear friend John (Lennon)".

“Sometimes you don’t say to people what you mean to say to them until it is too late like I love you. When they pass away, it is too late. It is written in the form of a conversation we never had,” he said.

He also dedicated a ukulele version of Something to George Harrison who died of cancer in 2003.

He tried out a little Irish on the crowd saying “céad míle fáilte”, though his pronunciation of “Nollaig Shona Duit” was not quite perfect. Among the audience last night were Chris de Burgh, Louis Walsh, Gerry Ryan, and Ryan Tubridy.