Drinks with Steve Collins, Sligo scenery on Tyson’s itinerary

THEY paid €200 a head for the highly questionable privilege of dining with a convicted rapist, a man who bit an opponent and was once heavyweight boxing champion of the world.

Packing into Dublin’s plush Burlington Hotel, 700 fans of Iron Mike Tyson gathered for an audience with their now bankrupt hero.

After squandering a fortune in excess of €400 million, he was happy to come to Ireland for an €80,000 appearance fee.

As one commentator put it, since Kevin McBride ended Tyson’s career last June, the word Ireland has tormented the baddest man on the planet. Now bankrupt Mike was going to make money out of it.

And so they came in their hundreds to savour the words of the man who once said: “I wish that you guys had children so I could kick them in the f***ing head or stomp on their testicles so you could feel my pain, because that’s the pain I have waking up every day.”

His path to the “Burlo” was not smooth. A hiccup in bringing his luggage to Gatwick Airport meant missing his flight and a four-hour delay, forcing him to cancel a press conference. There were rumours of a hissy fit when his accommodation failed to live up to his rock-star lifestyle.

Tyson was met at Dublin Airport by fight fan Gerry “The Monk” Hutch, with his €2,000-a-night Hummer limo.

He revealed plans to take in the scenery in Sligo and to hook up with former WBO super middleweight champion, Irish boxer Steve Collins, for a few pints of the black stuff.

Asked if he would ever step back in the ring, the answer was predictable. “It all depends on the offer,” the former Ironman said.