This round is on Bono... U2 star crashes stag in sunny Dingle

Bono joined stag Matthew Kennedy and his friends for an afternoon pint in the seaside town of Dingle, the party-goers hardly able to believe their eyes when the rock star joined them. (Photo: Matthew Kennedy)

Nothing beats having Bono as an impromptu guest at your stag weekend.

The U2 gang might not have picked up an Oscar Stateside recently but that didn’t affect their star status in Kerry on Saturday.

Bono joined stag Matthew Kennedy and his friends for an afternoon pint in the seaside town of Dingle, the party-goers hardly able to believe their eyes when the rock star joined them.

A pint of the black stuff in hand, Bono sat with the party and chatted to them as his wife Ali Hewson socialised with friends.

The 53-year-old singer was at the wedding of a close friend– and then dropped in to local watering hole Dick Mack's for a few pints.Bono was joined by a wedding party of around 130 people, but it was soon crashed by locals as news of his impromptu visit spread.

Manager of the pub Finn McDonnell said Bono sat in a snug at one end of the bar with his wife Ali and a group of four friends, and ordered four rounds of Guinness.

Mr McDonnell said: "They went into the local church at around 2pm, and came back out around an hour-and-a-half later. I didn't cop him coming into the pub at all.

"Bono went into the snug at the end of the bar, leaned over and said: 'How are you getting on?'. That's when I copped it was him."

Bono with local Mazz O'Flaherty outside her record shop in Dingle.Photo: Nuala Moore

Mr McDonnell revealed that a customer at the bar purchased a round of tequila shots for the group during their visit – but that the spirits were left behind when the group departed almost two hours later.

Owner of the Dingle Record Shop Mazz O'Flaherty told the Irish Independent that when she heard Bono was in town, she grabbed a copy of U2's album 'Pop' and went to the pub to ask for an autograph.

Ms O'Flaherty said: "I went into the bar and asked him to sign the CD. He told me he'd come over to the record shop in a few minutes, which he did."

The group later retired to the popular luxury wedding destination Ballintaggart House, where they stayed overnight and yesterday enjoyed a barbecue.

Irish Independent

http://www.independent.ie/