A well-known Irish celebrity has assaulted a close associate of a senior Kinahan cartel henchman in a south Dublin pub.

During the row, a man in his 50s with close links to convicted drug dealer Graham 'The Wig' Whelan (35) was punched.

Gardaí are aware of the incident, which happened on Sunday night, but no complaint has yet been made.

It is understood the sports star attempted to assault another young man in the pub, when Whelan's associate attempted to intervene before being punched twice in the face.

This man, aged in his late 50s, has been described as a "completely innocent" individual who has no involvement in criminality.

He is also understood to have punched another young man once in the head during the melee.

This individual was then ushered out of the pub and was driven away from the scene.

While gardaí are aware of what happened, officers are not investigating the case as they have not received a complaint on the matter.

"There is no report on this matter and no complaint from any injured parties, patrons of the pub or the pub itself and no statements were taken," a senior source said.

Gardaí believe the incident is linked to another alleged assault carried out by the sports star earlier this month.

Irish Independent