When Bono met Harry: U2 star and Point developer Crosbie shake on it at Dalkey Book Festival
There was a strong interest from U2 band members and associates for a talk by film director Neil Jordan and author John Banville on the life of Roger Casement, the British diplomat who was executed in 1916 for treason after his participation in the Easter Rising.
Property developer Harry Crosbie told the Sunday Independent that his job on Friday night was to be 'the driver'. He said he was just there to 'pick up and drop off John Banville'.
Spotting Crosbie in his 1967 Mercedes Pagoda, Killiney resident Bono, who had a security team with him, made a bee line for him and shook his long-time friend's hand.
Crosbie, who helped develop The Point (now the 3Arena) and Vicar Street music venues, has said he will never write his autobiography because it would be too full of 'name-dropping'.
Bono's wife Ali Hewson also attended the same sold-out Casement talk, hosted by broadcaster Caroline Erskine, that took place in a marquee overlooking Dalkey Island.
U2 guitarist The Edge was also present at the same talk and was seen entering the marquee after the event began.
The festival's programme noted that Casement was described by his hangman in Pentonville prison as 'the bravest man I have ever had the displeasure to walk up the scaffold'.
'From Congo to Peru and back home to Ireland, Casement fought for the rights of dispossessed peoples wherever he saw them,' the programme said.
'A gay, Protestant, Irish revolutionary, a man of contradictions and complexity, he was only recently rehabilitated in Ireland. Is there a more heroic Irish figure than Roger Casement?'
ADVERTISEMENT
The festival concludes today with talks including one on rugby from former Ireland player Gordon D'Arcy and Paul Howard, journalist and author of the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly books. There is also an event with Charlie Mackesy, the author of The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
19 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Michael Flatley will 'arrive at decision soon' about presidency run
Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley said he will 'arrive at a decision very soon' on running for the Irish presidency. Two weeks ago the entertainer's barrister announced his plan to run during a High Court case in relation to works carried out at his Cork mansion. Asked by Virgin Media if he is going to try and get his name on the presidential ballot, he said: 'It won't be long, I will arrive at a decision very soon.' Questioned about what issues he would run his campaign on, the Irish dancer said it's a 'non political role' and he is 'non political'. He added: 'I have always been an artist. My job is to spread Irish culture and I have done for the last 30 years. 'Tokyo to Texas from Mexico to Moscow, Boston to Beijing. We have promoted Ireland and Irish culture. I am in the joy business. I am very blessed. I am absolutely non-political. I'm not sure we need a political figure there, you need someone who is a statesman and ambassador. 'I'm certainly not thinking all the Irish people would vote for me, it's only if I thought I could be helpful.' Michael said he would be 'quietly confident' that if he decides to put his name in the hat he will get enough nominations to get on the ballot. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Biopic about the early life of Sinéad O'Connor in development
A new film telling the story of the early life and career of the late Sinéad O'Connor is in development, according to reports. Variety magazine reports that the film about the Dublin-born singer, who died in 2023 at the age of 56, s being made by Irish production company ie: entertainment, which executive produced Belfast director Kathryn Ferguson's O'Connor documentary Nothing Compares. According to Variety, the new film will explore O'Connor's early life and musical beginnings and her refusal to pander to industry expectations. It will chart her early rise to fame and her efforts to highlight the crimes committed by the Catholic Church and the Irish state. Irish production company Nine Daughters, who produced God's Creatures and Lady Macbeth and See-Saw Films (Slow Horses, The Power of the Dog) are also said to be involved in the film, which has been in the works since Nothing Compares. The film is being directed by Josephine Decker, with a script by Irish writer Stacey Gregg. Nine Daughters founder Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly and the Oscar-winning duo of Iain Canning and Emile Sherman.
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
‘Who was the Argentinian guy with the Irish name'
Alexis Mac Allister feared he would be remembered in England for little more than a pub quiz question. 'Who was the Argentinian guy,' he writes, 'with the Irish name who played 15 games for Brighton?' Mac Allister has penned a first-person piece on The Players' Tribute detailing his journey from Argentina to Anfield, and how at one point his move to Brighton looked destined to end in failure. He was signed in 2019 from Argentinos Juniors, and spent his early days as a Brighton player on loan at his old club, as well as Boca Juniors. When he finally got around to pushing for a spot in the Seagulls first-team, he struggled to make an impression. A far cry from these days, when his trophy cabinet contains a World Cup winners' medal and Premier League gold. Mac Allister ended up playing 112 times for Brighton before Liverpool signed him in the summer of 2023 for a reported €38million, rising to €60million with add-ons. He reflected on his arrival at the South Coast, when he was 'all alone, sitting on the bench.' The 26-year-old writes: 'The grass is always greener, isn't it? I wanted to go home so bad. But my mum made me see the light. ''Ale, remember how much you always wanted this? Remember La Cuca ('The Cockroach', his old car)? You have to be brave. You can't quit now.' 'Can you imagine if I had left for Spain? For Russia? I would be an answer in one of those pub quizzes they have in England. 'Next question: who was the Argentinian guy with the Irish name who played 15 games for Brighton?' ''Ahhhh, damn. Who was that guy? Mac something… What happened to him?' 'But no, that was not my fate. My mom saved me. 'After Christmas, we had so many injuries at Brighton that they basically had no option but to play me. 'I think a lot of people were probably watching Match of the Day saying, 'Who is this Mac Allister guy? Is he Scottish? He's from Argentina? What?! The kid with the ginger beard?!'" Mac Allister, of course, does have Irish roots. They came to light during the 2022 World Cup, when his distant cousins from Donabate and Laytown explained how members of their family moved to Argentina. They first settled in Pergamino, around 200km from Buenos Aires, an Irish stronghold. Alexis's dad was known as 'El Colorado' (The Redhead) during his playing days with Boca Juniors. And the Liverpool player, speaking to the official Olympic Games website in 2022, acknowledged: 'The surname Mac Allister comes from Ireland.' Mac Allister goes on to write about his experiences at the World Cup in Qatar, and how he wasn't affected by nerves ahead of the final against France, which was settled by penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw. 'Even when I was 8 years old, I would have that feeling of butterflies rumbling in my stomach. But I swear, I was not nervous during that entire tournament. Not even against France,' he writes. 'The night before the Final, I slept for 10 hours.' He had been substituted before the shootout, so Mac Allister watched from the technical area. 'During the penalties, I was in another world,' he writes. 'When Gonzalo (Montiel) scored to make us champions I didn't even know how to celebrate. Everyone ran to Dibu (Martinez) and Leo (Messi) and they were all hugging, and I was just standing alone, stunned. I didn't know which way to walk. 'I turned to my family, who were sitting right behind our bench, and I just waved to them. Like a little kid after their first game. ''Hola, Mom. Hola, Dad. Did I play OK?'' "They waved back to me with tears in their eyes." You can read Mac Allister's essay on The Players' Tribune. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
