Bono joined The Edge for the U2 stars’ first performance since 2015 at the annual Christmas Eve charity busking session outside the Gaiety theatre in Dublin, performing along with a host of other famous Irish musicians in aid of the city’s homeless.
The event took place in support of the Simon Community, a homelessness charity which helps people who are homeless or at risk of becoming so.
The U2 members serenaded onlookers with a song from their latest album, as well as two Christmas carols - ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘O Night Divine’ - before they were joined by an ensemble to sing ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’, a rock song originally sung by Darlene Love in 1963.
Crowds had gathered around a makeshift stage on Grafton Street from 4pm on Monday. Other performers included organiser Glen Hansard, Damien Rice, Danny O’Reilly, Imelda May, Luke Clerkin, Mundy and Roisin O.
Rice played a slowed-down cover of ‘Creep’, the Radiohead song from their first album, while Hansard played guitar for a rousing rendition of George Michael’s ‘Faith’, sung by a man named Philip who is currently in a Dublin hostel and is assisted by the Simon Community.
There are almost 10,000 homeless people across Ireland , including nearly 4,000 children. Inner City Helping Homeless, a Dublin charity, said more than 100 people were found sleeping rough on Dublin’s streets on Sunday night.