Some 235,000 documents and emails have been examined as part of an ongoing probe into anti-competitive ticket event pricing, the body responsible for the inquiry has said.

Football and hurling fans have been warned to buy their tickets for the season’s remaining All-Ireland fixtures only from official sources, after the GAA cancelled a number of tickets on secondary selling websites.

Keith English described the suggested laws, as proposed as “laudable” but said it would only “push this underground”.

The head of Ticketmaster in Ireland has warned that proposed anti-touting legislation will remove safeguards from consumers buying secondhand tickets from approved resale sites.

Promoters of entertainment and sporting events have clashed over whether legislation is needed to govern the resale of tickets which can be sold at prices far in excess of face value.

Comments made by one of Ireland's top music promoters calling for the regulation of ticket sales have been welcomed today.

A formal investigation has been launched by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission into ticketing of live events, citing “suspected breaches of competition law” as the reason for its probe.

Ticket sales should be limited for individuals and identity checks made in order to clamp down on ticket touting, TDs have said.

Tickets for U2’s Joshua Tree 30th anniversary concert in Croke Park next July are appearing on resale websites at prices of more than €1,000 each, prompting fresh calls for anti-touting legislation.

STOP EVERYTHING!

MCD supremo Denis Desmond dashed the hopes of Coldplay fans yesterday by confirming there will be no second gig by the band in Dublin next summer.

It was a quick hello and goodbye to tickets for Adele’s two Dublin concerts — they sold out in just three minutes.

Michael Jackson fans who bought tickets for his shows at the O2 via eBay and PayPal will receive refunds, it was confirmed today.

Thousands of Michael Jackson fans who bought tickets to see his comeback shows at London’s O2 will have to wait until next week to find out how to get their money back.

IRISH ticket-holders for the last ever Michael Jackson concerts are set to ignore the offer of a refund for the chance to keep a piece of music history memorabilia.