The Script fans concerned after Mark Sheehan absent from rehearsals a week before he died | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV

Co-founder and guitarist of The Script, Mark Sheehan, died yesterday after a brief illness.

The Irish rock band confirmed the tragic news on Twitter, as they requested privacy for themselves and his family.

The late 46-year-old was absent from the group’s rehearsals, in a picture shared on Instagram by Glen Power on April 6.

Updating his 35,000 followers, the drummer, 44, captioned two uploads: “Jammin at the office, day & night!”

He tagged Danny O’Donoghue, Colin Rogers, Curtis Stansfield, Ben Sargeant and the Angelic Recording Studios.

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However, users were quick to note there was no mention of Mark, with them flooding the comments section to comment.

annp_arkinson asked: “Where’s Mark, hope he’s OK,” while alexis__taft stated: “Still no Mark,” alongside a tearful emoji.

jkroosing wrote: “Can’t wait to hear the next lot of songs and I hope Mark is well and we love and miss him.”(sic)

Fourth person lea_902 said: “Praying for M & his family. We miss him. It’s just not the same.”

shazb3619 added: “Hope you’re having fun. But missing Mark x.”

Mark’s death was announced online when the band tweeted: “Much loved husband, father, brother, bandmate and friend Mark Sheehan passed away today in hospital after a brief illness.

“The family and group ask fans to respect their privacy at this tragic time.”

It comes almost a year after Danny, 42, revealed Mark had taken a break from performing with The Script.

In an unearthed interview with The Sunday World in May, he said: “It’s his [Mark’s] story to tell, but yeah, I guess if I could paraphrase, his children needed a father and his wife needed a husband.

“He’s been the engine of The Script for such a long time, [I told him] that, ‘If you want to take a bit of time out for your family you are more than welcome to, and I insist on you going and doing it’.”

Mark married wife Rina in 2005, and they welcomed their first child, Cameron, in 2008, and two more followed: Avery and Lil.

Danny added: “He took a little bit of time off. You get refreshed, then you come back with a new zest for life.

“And I believe it was the best thing that could have happened for all of us.”