Q. What do Bob Marley and U2 have in Common? A. Chris Blackwell The founder of Island Records talks to Marilyn Cole Lownes about his Irish Jamaican heritage, U2, and his life in the music business. It's no coincidence that the man who made Jamaican singer Bob Marley a cultural icon also made U2, the rock band from Dublin, an international phenomenon. Chris Blackwell, the … [Read more...] about Island Man
U2
News Roundup February 18, 2023
Emily Moriarty
IA Newsletter February 18, 2023
IA Newsletter February 18, 2023
Ireland Sends Largest Ever Airlift Relief to Turkey and Syria Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheàl Martin T.D. announced the airlift departure of over 100 tons of disaster relief supplies from Ireland’s emergency stocks to the earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria. The airlift left the UN’S Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) in Dubai on Thursday, February … [Read more...] about News Roundup February 18, 2023
Hibernia People
Il Papa Meets Il Bono "Holy Father, this is Mr. Bono -- he's a pop singer." With these words the U2 lead singer was introduced to Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in September. Bono and former Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof met with the pope as part of a campaign the two celebrities are promoting to wipe out the Third World Debt. "The pope's everyday courage amazes me," said … [Read more...] about Hibernia People
Great Irish Song Stamps
U2 and The Cranberries are among notable Irish musicians featured on a new set of stamps celebrating great Irish songs. The Cranberries’ global smash hit “Dreams” is included along with U2’s “With or Without You,” “Danny Boy” by John McCormack, and “On Raglan Road” by Luke Kelly. Each of the songs have been chosen by An Post (the Irish postal administration) because of the way … [Read more...] about Great Irish Song Stamps
The Last Word:
Irish American Agitation in the Age of Trump
U2, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, and the Irish trying to save America.
In autumn 2017, U2 released their 14th studio album, Songs of Experience. Critical reception on the album was mixed – was it a superstar older rock band’s attempt at political relevance, or a late-career classic infused with the urgency of Brexit, Trump, and a world thrown into uncertainty? In December 2017, the … [Read more...] about The Last Word:
Irish American Agitation in the Age of Trump