SURVIVORS and the bereaved of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings will be present when U2 highlight relatives’ campaign for justice during their concerts in Dublin over the next two nights.
The Irish rockers’ song Raised by Wolves, which was released last year on their Songs of Innocence album, deals with the impact of the four no-warning loyalist car bombs that rocked their native Dublin, and Monaghan town, killing 34 people, including a full-term unborn baby.
During their world tour, U2 have added their voice to calls from the Justice for the Forgotten campaign group for the British government to release classified documents on the bombings to an agreed judicial third party.
The band is bringing their iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE tour to the Three Arena tonight and tomorrow, and some of those worst-affected the biggest atrocity in the Republic during the Troubles will be present.
Dubliner Pat Fay, whose father, Patrick, a civil servant aged 47, was killed in the Parnell Street explosion, said: “These will be such emotional occasions for us all. We have campaigned ceaselessly for truth and justice for so many years. To have a band of the calibre of U2 highlighting the issue means a great deal to the families.”
Dublin and Monaghan families and survivors looking forward to attending the U2 shows in Dublin on Monday, 23rd and Tuesday, 24th.
— JusticeFTForgotten (@JFForgotten) November 22, 2015Justice for the Forgotten spokeswoman Margaret Urwin said she hoped the concerts would “encourage” the British government to make the classified files available.
U2 have been performing the song, and featuring pictures of the people who died, at all their concerts during the tour, including their two sold-out gigs in Belfast last week.
There was some disquiet over the move, with former Lord Mayor of Belfast Jim Rodgers describing it as a “very bad idea” and “most disappointing”.
The boys are back in town #U2ieTour pic.twitter.com/n8tHAI0sUy
— U2 (@U2) November 22, 2015
