Ireland on the trail of U2: the band's locations in Dublin and along the coast
On September 25, 2026, U2 celebrated 50 years since the band's birth by returning to Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, where in 1976 Larry Mullen Jr. had posted an announcement on the bulletin board with which he was looking for musicians to form a group. Five decades later, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. returned to their school for a special performance, followed on the same day by a surprise second set at Bewley's Café on Grafton Street.
The anniversary thus becomes an opportunity to discover Dublin and its coast through the places of U2, following an itinerary that goes off the more traditional tourist routes and crosses residential neighborhoods, recording studios, clubs, theaters and seaside villages. A trip particularly suitable for the autumn and winter months, when the Irish capital and the bay can be explored at a quieter pace.
Mount Temple to Dublin's North Coast
The journey can start in Dublin's Northside, where many of the places related to the band's early years are located. The first stop is the Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Artane, a symbolic place for U2's formation and even more significant today after the fiftieth anniversary concert. Not far away is Cedarwood Road, the street where Bono spent part of his adolescence and which many years later would give the title to a song on the album Songs of Innocence.
From here the route can reach Clontarf and join the Dublin Coastal Trail, continuing north to Malahide. In the seaside village, in the attic of bassist Adam Clayton's family home, the group gathered for some of the first rehearsals and took the first promotional photographs. Today Malahide offers an additional reason for a trip out of the centre, thanks to its medieval castle, harbour and clubs overlooking the coast.
Windmill Lane,
in the studios that have made the history of U2
One of the most important stops is Windmill Lane. The original studio, opened in 1978, was closely linked to the band's recording debuts: here works such as Boy, October and War were made. A part of the wall remains of the old building covered over time by messages left by fans.
Since 1989, Windmill Lane Recording Studios have been located at 20 Ringsend Road, inside a converted building. The studios are still operational but can be visited with guided tours of about an hour, during which you enter the recording environments, discover how a song is born and you can try mixing a virtual session.
U2, the Rolling Stones, The Cranberries, Lady Gaga and Ed Sheeran are among the artists linked to the studio's history.
Evening tours of Windmill Lane are also planned for autumn-winter 2026 from 8 October 2026 to 7 January 2027, an option particularly consistent with a musical city break in the colder season.
In the centre of Dublin on the trail of U2
The route continues on foot in the heart of the capital. Fitzwilliam Square, Fitzwilliam Place and Upper Fitzwilliam Street appeared in the video for Sweetest Thing, while at the National Gallery of Ireland, overlooking Merrion Square, there is a portrait of Bono by Louis le Brocquy.
In the gardens of Merrion Square, moreover, the monument dedicated to Oscar Wilde retains a particular connection with the U2 singer: Bono lent his voice to one of the writer's quotes associated with the installation.
Towards Temple Bar is the Irish Rock 'N' Roll Museum Experience, while along Wellington Quay is The Clarence, a historic hotel long linked to U2 and from whose roof a Beautiful Day performance was recorded in 2000. On North Earl Street, on the other hand, the Bonavox store sign recalls the origin of Bono's nickname. For those who prefer an organized route, there are also walking tours dedicated to U2, including itineraries in Italian that retrace the history of the band through the center of Dublin.
Dalkey and Killiney along the Dublin Coastal Trail
The journey can continue south using the DART, the urban railway that runs along Dublin Bay. One of the most interesting stops is Dalkey, an elegant seaside village long linked to Irish musicians and writers.
A little further south is Killiney, with its beach, cliffs and views of the bay. Along this part of the coast, the U2 route also becomes a way to discover one of the most pleasant aspects of Dublin: the proximity between the city centre, small villages and the sea.
Slane Castle, where "The Unforgettable Fire" was born
To complete the route, you have to leave Dublin and reach County Meath, in Ireland's Ancient East. About an hour from the capital is Slane Castle, an eighteenth-century mansion overlooking the River Boyne and a central place in the history of U2.
The band played here in 1981 as support for Thin Lizzy during the first Slane Festival. Three years later U2 returned to the castle to work on The Unforgettable Fire, recording part of the album in the rooms of the mansion, from the ballroom to the library. Today Slane Castle can be visited and allows you to include another musical stop in an itinerary that extends from the capital to the Irish hinterland.
Fifty years after the first meeting in Larry Mullen Jr.'s house, U2's geography remains deeply linked to Dublin. Schools, residential neighborhoods, studios, theaters and coastal resorts make up an itinerary that allows you to get to know the city from a different perspective.
The fiftieth anniversary is therefore not only a musical anniversary, but also an opportunity to transform the history of the band into a journey through Dublin, its bay and the landscapes of Ireland's Ancient East, following places that continue to tell the relationship between U2 and Ireland.
