Bono welcomes top Japanese architect to Dublin

Ando was in Dublin to speak at a Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland lecture in the RDS which was attended by over 3000 people.

Introducing Ando at the lecture, Bono said that all of those in attendance were in the presence of greatness.

"To find your own voice is the hardest thing. Tadao Ando didn’t just find a voice, he found a language. Awe is a word to describe Ando’s work – he’s simply awesome," said the U2 frontman.

Bono recently visited Ando's Church of Light in Osaka with friends Gavin Friday, Guggi and Paddy McKillen.

A former boxer and truck driver, Ando opened his own architectural studio at the age of 28. He has since won numerous awards for his designs and been a visiting professor at Yale, Harvard and Columbia universities in the US.