Starstruck Slane restaurant owner gets visit from Pearl Jam legend!

A starstruck Slane restaurant owner got the surprise of a life time yesterday when the lead guitarist with Pearl Jam popped into her eatery with his family for a spot of lunch!

Fresh from his gig at Marley Park on Saturday as part of the grunge band's Dark Matter Tour, Mike McCready was in the area and stopped by Inside Out in Slane for some grub with his loved ones after visiting near by Newgrange.

Having been recommended as the' best restaurant on the outskirts of Dublin' it was the obvious choice for the music star who told staff it was his first time back in the village since Pearl Jam played support to headline act Neil Young in 1993.

"I was completely starstruck, I was a huge Pearl Jam fan in the 90s," said Inside Out co owner and Pearl Jam super fan Edel Healy.

"He was an absolute gentleman, really down to earth, he shook everyone's hand and he was just amazing," she added.

"They say never meet your heroes but in this case, he was everything I hoped he'd be and more, I was on a complete high."

Edel says a call that you don't get everyday came in yesterday afternoon that left staff beside themselves with excitement.

"I was working in our take away and staff member Leanne was hosting that day and she got a phone call from someone saying he was the chauffeur for Mike McCready from Pearl Jam," explains Edel who runs Inside Out along side her partner, James.

"He said I hear you are the best restaurant on the outskirts of Dublin and I have the lead guitarist and his family who would like to dine with you today if you could squeeze them in.

"We were thrilled to have them, we were talking about all sorts of things, he said the Marley park gig was a great concert and he was heading off to Manchester this morning.

"They said they had visited Knowth and Dowth and were looking for somewhere good to eat."

The Seattle grunger who along with his family dined on Bruschetta with tomato, basil and garlic, Garlic bread, Prawn and chorizo an array of pizzas and a chocolate 'plant pot' desert that he was very impressed with told staff he'd be back!

"They were all dying for pizza and they thought the pizza was amazing," said Edel.

"He told me that before his music days, he used to work in a Pizzeria and he said it was all about the dough and that our dough was phenomenal! He was really interested in the restaurant and I told him about how James and I had worked together for 16 years and all about our family.

"It was like we were catching up as old friends and I never met the man before!"