The Irish Red Cross guide to falling for Slane idols without hitting the ground

If the sight of Robbie Williams in the flesh is enough to make you faint, then you'll empathise with the 121 souls who did just…

If the sight of Robbie Williams in the flesh is enough to make you faint, then you'll empathise with the 121 souls who did just that at Slane Castle last year.

According to figures from the Irish Red Cross, there were 871 recorded casualties at last year's concert at Slane, and those who fainted made up the majority.

Next were the 105 who suffered from headaches, while a further 68 developed "severe symptoms associated with heat exhaustion", and 74 sustained minor wounds.

The Red Cross points out that, as the vast majority of last year's patients suffered only minor conditions, this weekend's concert-goers at Slane can avoid such problems by taking a few basic precautions.

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These include bringing additional clothing, waterproofs, hats and sun protection, and wearing comfortable shoes.

In addition, asthmatics, epileptics and diabetics are strongly advised to wear their medical alert braces.

Women are advised to bring sanitary protection, and everyone should keep some form of written identification. Those attending are also advised to eat before the concert and drink plenty of water while there.

The three definite don'ts for concert-goers are taking drugs, drinking excessively and going to the concert alone, according to the Red Cross.

And don't think you can rely on a mobile phone if you lose sight of your friends.

The Red Cross warns that mobile phones may not work because of huge demands on networks.

Instead, designate a meeting place. Incidents at last year's concert also included 68 asthma attacks, five suspected spinal injuries and 15 suspected limb fractures.

In addition, there were 40 crush injuries, 56 sprains, 48 drink-related illnesses, seven injuries caused by contact lenses, five suspected overdoses, two cases of food poisoning, and 20 panic attacks.

The Red Cross figures do not include the people treated after the Robbie Williams concert or those brought to hospitals in local towns.

But it was not all bad news on the concert health and safety front. The number of stings dropped from 187 in 1998 to just 14 last year, while sunburn casualties were also down, from 42 in 1998 to five last year.