RTE host Brendan Courtney said that he believed he was targeted for being gay after being attacked by three men near his home in Dublin

Irish TV star Brendan Courtney was brutally attacked near his home in Dublin and says he was targeted “because I’m gay”.

RTE host Brendan, who is openly gay, believed that his sexuality made him the “perfect fodder” for the three men who assaulted him in the brutal “homophobic” attack. He shared the horrific experience in a post on social media.”Last night, at nine o’clock on my way home with some food, crossing the traffic lights just outside my apartment… three lads pulled up in a car and jumped out of the car, and jumped on me and attacked me and punched me to the ground. Cut my f*****g ear, a load of blood.

“I’m lucky actually but I’m sore because they kicked me in the head a couple of times. An amazing American couple walking by started screaming and the manager from the place on the corner came out and the police were there in seconds, and they jumped in the car and drove off,” he shared on Instagram.

The RTE star – who has been attacked before – said he was just walking home with food when three men jumped on him, and ended up in A&E

Brendan swore, and then advised: “Anyway, that happened to me yesterday so be careful.” The fashion designer then asked: “Dublin, what’s going on?”

While in the first Instagram Story Brendan was sitting on his balcony at home, he followed up two hours later and filmed from a hospital bed. “So, I’ve had to come to A&E,” he said. He swore again, and then reassured: “I’m sure I’m fine, I just reckon I have a mild concussion. My head is thumping.”

The beloved star flashed his hospital wristband and again said that he was fine, before adding: “Thank you for the messages, and…”

Brendan then got more serious, and stated: “It’s not good enough. It’s not good enough to be set upon on the street where you live and end up on a Friday in f*****g A&E with a concussion. It’s not good enough. We can do better.”

The TV personality has long been an advocate of gay rights, and tragically it isn’t the first time Brendan has been targeted in his home city. Back in May 2011, he disclosed that he was assaulted on South Great George’s Street in what he suspected to be a homophobic attack,” with a man having shouted a slur before making his attack.

“I was walking home on George’s Street with a group of friends after a club night in Andrews Lane. It was about two or three in the morning. Some guy in his early 20s came up to me with a group of friends and punched me full force in the face. He ran off with his friends before we could get him,” he told the Irish Independent at the time.