1989 April 29th The First Time, Meeting Bono

I had been told one of the best ways to see the Dublin area is by travelling on the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport) suburban railway from north to south. So, after breakfast, I headed to Connolly Station and got on the green DART train that was heading north to Howth - Binn Eadair in Irish. The train was comfortable and, at this time of day, quiet. It glided smoothly out of the city centre and through the suburbs of north eastern Dublin that skirted Dublin Bay. As the train approached Howth, the bulk of the Ben of Howth loomed ahead.

I got off the train and walked the short distance into the village. It skirted the north coast of the peninsula and had a pretty harbour full of fishing boats. A short distance offshore I could see the little island known as Ireland's Eye which was a nature reserve.

Howth was very rocky - rocks jutted out at weird angles on the hill and out of the sea, the cold wind blew in from the north and nipped my cheeks, very bracing! Behind the small harbour with colourful fishing boats there was a parade of shops along the main street.

I stayed in Howth for about 15 minutes before heading to the DART again. I was glad to be back in the warm and snug train - this time I was headed on the longer journey to the southern terminus of the DART at Bray - Bre in Irish (I was beginning my education in the Irish language on this trip too!).

We travelled back into the city centre and on across the Liffey, we passed Sydney Parade station which I remembered from James Joyce's book Dubliners. At Booterstown the train line suddenly opened out onto the coast and the view across the wide expanse of Dublin Bay was beautiful. The train continued south following the sweep of the bay to the port of Dun Laoghaire, with it's church steeples, myriads of boats and large harbour around which two piers gracefully curved like huge arms holding the water in an embrace.

I stayed on the DART, as it travelled on through upmarket Dalkey and into a long tunnel which opened out onto Killiney Bay. I was stunned by the view, the sun was now shining and the sky was azure blue, a shimmering, crescent-shaped bay with sandy beach lay ahead. It was flanked by granite hills to the right of the DART line on which were scattered large Italianate mansions.

Killiney was so gorgeous I decided to get off the DART there. I walked down the steps onto the beach which, surprisingly, was very quiet. the sea was very blue and calm, the only sounds were the seagulls and the waves lapping onto the beach. It was such a relaxing place and I enjoyed half an hour wandering along the beach.

I then decided to walk up Killiney Hill. This was quite a hard walk up very steep narrow roads lined by with beautiful mansions with lush gardens and high, natural grey stone walls. The unusual smell of eucalyptus hung in the air. The area had a Mediterranean feel to it. Later I was not surprised to find out that this was where the millionaires live - including someone called Bono.

On Killiney Hill the view was glorious, to the south taking in all of Killiney Bay and beyond, the humpback of Bray Head and volcano-like peaks of the Sugarloaf mountains clearly visible. From the white Victorian obelisk on the summit of the hill, the view to the north was just as stunning, Dalkey Island, that separates Dublin and Killiney Bays, Dun Laoghaire, the city and bay of Dublin and Howth Head where I had been that morning. I sat on one of the granite rocks warmed by the sun and admired the view as magpies cawed and darted around me. I had never realised the area around Dublin was so scenic.

Time was passing and I reluctantly tore myself away and had a leisurely and easy walk down to the DART station and got the next train back to the city.

The benefit concert at the Abbey Theatre was due to start at 7.30pm and I arrived there at 6.45pm. Quite a few people had already congregated at the theatre and a jazz band was playing in the street. There was a lively atmosphere and the evening was warm so waiting wasn't unpleasant. I occupied my time learning a bit of Irish: bruscar - litter, sraide -street, mainstir - abbey.... well it helped pass the time!

I watched the parade of Dublin's A-listers arriving for the concert, then suddenly I saw a face I recognised - it was Adam! He was wearing a white suit and looked very handsome. I had never thought of Adam as handsome before, but in real life he is. I remember reading an interview with Anton Corbijn where he said that Larry and Edge were easy to photograph as they were photogenic. But Bono was difficult because he can look so different depending what angle the photos are taken. He said that Adam was also difficult because he was not photogenic. Well I can confirm Adam looks great in real life!

Adam looked right at me (I wasn't far away) and smiled warmly and nodded, how nice! Shortly afterwards Edge arrived with his wife Aislinn. After this there was quite a long wait until we saw Bono arriving at a side entrance of the theatre, he turned and waved to the waiting people and then was almost dragged inside by two security men! I was a bit disappointed, but the Bono I'd heard of was always good with fans so I thought it was worthwhile waiting a bit longer.

There were other famous people at the benefit including Burgess Meredith and Daniel Day-Lewis and Daniel came out to meet fans and sign autographs. I got his autograph, he was very nice and seemed quite shy.

By 9.45pm my poor sore, blistered feet were protesting and I was beginning to tire of waiting for Bono. Then, as if my thoughts had been read, the side door opened and there was he was! I was not far away, and could hardly believe my eyes! His hair was very long, too long, and he had beads of sweat on his face, as if he'd just come off the stage. Some of the young girls there got really excited and started screaming. Bono said that if everyone stayed calm and quiet he would stay out and sign autographs. Luckily the girls calmed down and he stayed out.

I was the first to get an autograph - on a straggly piece of paper I had - it had never occurred to me that I might meet any of U2 in Dublin so I didn't have an album cover or anything like that with me. I think he said something to me but I can't remember what he said! But I do remember him looking directly into my eyes, and his vivid blue eyes seemed to look right inside me (any U2 fan who has been gazed at by Bono will know what I mean!) and my knees buckled . I was getting pushed out of the way by others and I nearly did not get the autograph back - Bono did end up keeping my pen!

He spoke very quietly and had an aura of calm about him which helped keep the fans calm too. He was smaller than I imagined, only a little taller than me and I'm only 5 feet 3 inches, he was also slighter in build than I expected too. He had that typical pale Irish complexion, the most gorgeous blue eyes and exuded charisma.

I honestly could not believe what I was seeing - and at one point I just reached out through the crowd and gently touched his arm, and yes, he was real! One of the young girls asked him to sign her tee-shirt which he did, then she asked for a kiss, which she duly got. She was over-joyed and kept repeating,

"I'm going to die!"

To which Bono said,

"No, you're not" with a smile, he clearly found her ecstasy very amusing.

He signed more autographs patiently before going back inside. I'd barely caught my breath when he came out again and left with his wife Ali, who was heavily pregnant with their first child, and was driven off into the night.

As I walked back to my hotel my head was buzzing and I had a big grin on my face! I had not expected to see Adam and Edge and meet Bono in Dublin and I was so thrilled that I had. Bono had been warm and charming in person, genuine and attentive, everything I had hoped he would be.

This was my last night in the city and it was the perfect ending to my short trip. I was sad to leave the next day, I had felt so at home in Dublin, it was my kind of place Many years later Bono's lyric from Summer Rain said it all for me:

"It's not where you're born

It's where you belong"

And that was how I felt about Dublin, I belonged. I knew then that I would be back, and so began a love affair with this city that continues to this day. And as I write on this day, 26th April 2008, I realise that it is almost exactly 19 years since that first visit to Dublin and that first meeting with Bono! How that time has flown by!

1989 April - Dublin, The First Time

I'd wanted to visit Dublin for a while, long before I was a U2 fan. But getting into U2 spurred me into action and I booked a weekend there in late April. No one I knew fancied going with me, so I went on my own, being by myself wasn't going to make any difference, I have quite an independent spirit anyway and something like that would never stop me.

I was so excited as the plane from Manchester descended into Dublin. It was a bright, sunny day and as I got off the plane the first thing I saw was the Seven Towers of Ballymun, made famous in Running to Stand Still. I took in everything as I headed into the city by taxi. I'd treated myself to a stay at the Gresham Hotel, which at that time was one of the best hotels in the city.

I left my belongings in my room and was quickly out into the city again determined to make the most of every minute in Dublin. I walked down O'Connell Street, which was lively and unfortunately rather spoiled by fast food places. I turned left into Abbey Street and bought a ticket for a play called "Una Pooka" at the Abbey Theatre the following night.

I crossed O'Connell Bridge and went on past Trinity College to Grafton Street which was obviously an upmarket street. Went on past McGonagles where U2 performed many early gigs, it wasn't flashy at all. Then I decided to head for Windmill Lane, it seemed a long way and the area was getting more and more derelict. I passed Docker's pub, well known in U2 circles and a regular watering hole for the band as it was just around the corner from Windmill Lane Studios.

The weather had closed in and a howling wind was blowing up the quays as I turned into Windmill Lane. Colourful and creative U2 graffiti covered the walls, I stopped and read some of the messages there. They were written in all languages and showed just how internationally popular U2 were that fans from all over the world had come to this place and left a message. The band still recorded at the studio then and it was a special place for fans. It was a thrill to see all these places linked to U2. they were all very ordinary, not grand, sometimes a bit down-at-heel like parts of the city itself. This was years before the Celtic Tiger raised it's head and Dublin and Ireland were struggling and young people were emigrating in droves.

I went back down the quays heading towards the East Link Bridge and passed Principle Management, U2's office, without knowing it as there was no sign saying what it was. I could see the Point Depot further down the Liffey on the opposite side of the river. I then decided to head back to the city centre to escape the cold wind roaring up the river from the Irish Sea.

Despite the icy wind I liked Dublin, in many ways it was much as I expected and I felt very at home there. It had it's grand Georgian buildings, posh streets, derelict docklands, history and U2 places. The people were warm and friendly, they smiled a lot, they were polite, I loved their openness. The city felt smaller than it actually was, it felt like a small town city, the pace wasn't frenetic. My love affair with Dublin started that day and, though the city has changed a lot, I continue to love the place as much now as then.

The next day I did history and culture! I went to Trinity College, where I saw the amazing Book of Kells in the equally fantastic old library. In the National Museum on Kildare Street I saw countless Irish treasures, including the beautiful Tara Brooch and Ardagh Chalice. I have always loved the Celtic style and it was such a treat to see these ancient examples with my own eyes. I spent over an hour and a half in the Museum and I still didn't see all it has on show and I vowed to go back one day.

I also visited Christchurch Cathedral, made out of the grey local stone with it's picturesque "bridge" across the road. On the way back I walked through Temple Bar, which was not as it is now. It was quite derelict and rundown with just a few shops, mainly of the new age type, and a few pubs, certainly not the centre of Dublin night life! The Temple Bar we see today is a relatively recent creation.

That evening I headed out to the Abbey Theatre which was just down the road from my hotel. The play I was seeing was called "Una Pooka" a new Irish play by Michael Harding. I really enjoyed it, set around the Pope's visit to Ireland in 1979 and one woman's repressed life. It was funny, sad, moving, thought -provoking and full of twists. Since then I have seen many Irish plays in Dublin and so many have that bitter-sweetness, humour-pathos that seems so much a part of Irish creativity.

After the play I went back to my hotel, picked up an evening paper in the lobby and then went to my room and lay on my bed resting my very sore feet! I read the paper and my eye caught something - Bono was appearing at the Abbey Theatre the following night at a benefit for the theatre which was in need of renovations. I could hardly believe it, Bono was in Dublin and would be appearing somewhere the next evening that was a short distance from my hotel! I decided then and there that I would go to the Abbey the next night.