So I'm in Dublin, staying at the Shelbourne, having a drink with Bono...

That would be Bono, honourary Knight Commander of the British Empire, lesser dubbed the lead singer of U2. The Shelbourne is Dublin's pre-eminent five star hotel just across from St. Stephen's Green, which I understand is named after the Earl of Shelburne, who once lived there, before he became known to history as the Marquess of Lansdowne.

In any event, there is a famous bar inside called the Horseshoe Bar, and there he was - Bono - with a party of five drinking Guinness and champagne and enjoying some private laughter. Bono, being Bono, was of course half shaved, wearing those tinted shades of his, same black leather vest and jeans - permanent dude, you know - and there I was dressed in my suit popping a few gin and tonics preparing to head down to the Hibernian Club for dinner with my well-to-do friend. I'm not going to tell you everything he said, except to say that the Big Labowski is one of his favourite films. Dude, mine too.

For a brief moment we contemplated selling tickets at the door, but thought better of it. We did politely ask the one-time most powerful man in the world if he would be so kind as to remove his bag so that we could sit at the adjoining table, whilst pretending not to recognize him. We may content ourselves that we don't genuflect in front of celebrities, but remember this is the people's Bono we are talking about, recall how he had the G7 eating out of the palm of his hand a couple of years back - every world leader wanted to be on every side of every issue that he was on, until they belatedly realized that they ultimately answer to taxpayers and not to Bono's charitable wishes. Not a bad gigg for a solitary figure, and so for the next two hours we drank beside the man who for a time seemed to have the international media and the whole wide world in his hands.


Dublin Castle, formerly the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922. Most of the complex dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland.

Above is another view of The Record Tower, the sole surviving tower of the mediæval castle dating from c.1228. To its left is the Chapel Royal. Below is Dublin Castle on the Upper Yard. On the left is the entrance to the State Apartments. The Irish Crown Jewels were stolen from the Bedford Tower to the right.
The Lord Edward

Excuse me, Sir, can you please tell me where I can find some good Irish pubs?

Trinity College, Dublin, corporately designated as the "Provost, Fellows and Scholars of the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth", was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", and is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin. Trinity and the University of Dublin form Ireland's oldest and most prestigious university.

A Statue of Edmund Burke in front of Trinity College, Dublin, where the great man attended. At the main entrance of Trinity there are statues of Edmund Burke and Oliver Goldsmith, both graduates.

Inside the Trinity College courtyard

The famous Book of Kells and the most splendid vaulted library I ever did see can be found at Trinity.
The thousand year old Christ Church Cathedral. For Catholics visiting Dublin, be prepared to be Anglicized - apart from St. Patricks Cathedral, I came across no Catholic churches in Dublin. The ones I saw were all Church of Ireland Anglican, which surprised me. Ireland may be predominantly Catholic, but in central Dublin itself this is far from evident.

Which brings me back to Bono. I overheard him say that he was brought up a Catholic while his brother was brought up an Anglican. His mother apparently wanted one of each, which again suggests that Ireland is historically more ambivalent on the issue than what might be commonly believed by outsiders.