Ireland`s High Court issued a request Monday for Eminem to come to Dublin give evidence explaining the last-minute cancellation of his proposed concert at Slane Castle in 2005.

The Michigan rapper pulled out of the Sept. 17, 2005, concert as part of the Anger Management tour after complaining of 'exhaustion.' The 80,000 tickets for the open-air gig had sold out within an hour.

Taking a civil action, concert promoters MCD are seeking Ђ1.5 million compensation from three London-based insurance companies after they refused to pay up after the cancellation of the gig.

Eminem had asked that he be allowed to give his testimony in private regarding his state of health at the time of the concert, but Mr. Justice Peter Kelly refused the application, saying it would be inappropriate. The judge also said that there was also a constitutional mandate that justice be administered in public.

He also said that Eminem`s testimony was important and 'possibly crucial' in settling the dispute between the promoters and the insurance companies. Justice Kelly issued the letter of request to the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan for examination on oath of Marshall Mathers III aka Eminem.

The annual concert in Slane Castle has traditionally been one of the highlights of the live calendar in Ireland, dating back to 1981, when Thin Lizzy and U2 headlined.

Taken from M&C