U2 guitarist The Edge becomes Irish citizen in ‘long-overdue move’
Musician said the step was ‘long overdue’
U2 guitarist The Edge has secured Irish citizenship after more than 60 years in Ireland.
The 63-year-old, whose real name is David Howell Evans, was born in Essex, England to Welsh parents, but moved to Ireland when he was just one year old. He helped found the Dublin-born band U2 alongside frontman Bono, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr in 1976.
“I’m a little tardy with the paperwork,” he told RTE. “I’ve been living in Ireland now since I was one year old. But the time is right. And I couldn’t be more proud of my country for all that it represents and all that it is doing.”
He marked the “monumental day” at a conferring ceremony held in Killarney, County Kerry. Over 7,500 people are expected to become Irish citizens across Monday and Tuesday (23 and 24 June).
Evans explained the delay in getting his documents sorted, saying: “Honestly, there were many moments in the past when I could have done it with just the form to be filled out but I’m happy it’s now, it feels more significant.”
The guitarist, known for his expressive music style, praised his country as he said: “I have always felt Irish, Ireland will always be home to me and I’m so grateful for that. It’s showing real leadership right now in the world and this couldn’t have come at a better moment for me. I am just so happy to be at this point, to be in even deeper connection with my homeland.”
U2 have always been vocal about the developing political climate in Ireland, writing “Sunday Bloody Sunday” about the shooting of unarmed protesters at Londonderry in 1972 by British Soldiers. They were prominent supporters of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which attempted to broker peace in Northern Ireland.
Earlier this year, lead vocalist Bono said the band were still a “work in progress” after he received a seven-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival for the debut of his film Bono: Stories of Surrender.
As the applause died down, the singer, whose real name is Paul David Hewson, pointed out his wife Ali and his longtime U2 bandmates, saying: “You wrote this story. The Edge wrote this story. Adam [Clayton] and Larry [Mullen Jr.] wrote this story. [Band manager] Paul McGuinness wrote this story. We’re still writing it, Paul. Still a work in progress.”
Stories of Surrender is a black-and-white film capturing the stage show of the same name, which Bono performed over 15 nights as part of the book tour to promote his 2022 memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story.
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The performance includes anecdotes about his band and family, as well as renditions of songs such as “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “With or Without You”.
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