Irish TV presenter Brendan Courtney, the first openly gay presenter in Ireland, warns of a rise in “anti-gay rhetoric” after he was attacked in Dublin

Irish TV presenter Brendan Courtney, the first openly gay presenter in Ireland, has warned of a rise in “anti-gay rhetoric” after he was attacked in Dublin.

Speaking on Instragam, the TV star, 53, said he raised the case to highlight that attacks like this are still happening and described the event as “surreal, dangerous and frightening”.

Courtney was walking home on Thursday evening across the bridge at Queens Street, Dublin when he was attacked “just outside” his apartment.

He said a white car pulled up with three men in it, they said something to him and he replied “hello”.

“Next of all, from behind, the driver and the guy in the back jumped out and kicked me to the ground and punched me and kicked me to the head five or six times.”

Courteney said he was left with blood on his face after being cut on his ear and above his eye, saying he’s “all sore”.

He continued: “An American girl screamed “what’s going on”, and they got back into the car and drove off.”

He said a barman nearby invited him in to sit down and the gardai arrived in two minutes.

Courteney went to A&E on Friday and got a CT scan as he had a “pounding” headache and feared he had a concussion.

“There’s definitely a rhetoric rebuilding, I can feel an anti-gay rhetoric for sure, that language is coming back that’s being allowed to be used again.

“And I don’t know where it’s coming from – well, we do know where it’s coming from – but we try and guard against it and bring education and awareness up.”

He added: “It’s so important to just remind people that this happens still and to be vigilant first of all and if crime happens to report it.”