Music
17 May 15

U2 Confirm Support For Yes Vote In Marriage Ref

Bono had spoken to Hot Press about it. Now, all four members of the band have declared their hands alongside Sinead O’Connor, Bob Geldof, Christy Moore, Glen Hansard, Cathey Davey, Neil Jordan, Joe O’Connor and dozens more …

Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen have confirmed that they support a ‘Yes’ vote in the upcoming referendum on marriage equality in Ireland. The band were signatories to a simple letter published in the Irish Times, which read as follows: “We support a Yes vote in the upcoming referendum on marriage equality.” And it was signed, in alphabetical order by a total of 77 artists and musicians.

Eariler in the week, asked by Olaf Tyaransen of Hot Press for his views on the referendum, Bono spoke about Jesus.

"Trying to co-opt the word 'marriage' is like trying to co-opt the word ‘love’,” he said. "You can't own this. You can’t own it. Marriage is now an idea that transcends religion. It's owned by the people. They can decide what defines it. It’s not a religious institution. As far as I know, Jesus was never married – and neither are most priests that talk about it.”

And, in the heat of the build-up to the band’s first live show in four years, in Vancouver on Thursday night,, he dismissed the claims of the ’No’ campaign to the moral high-ground – adding his own unique view of marriage, based on his own experience over 33 years or so with his wife, Ali Hewson.

“Marriage is one of the most impossible human traits… the hardest to hold onto.The idea that one community can own this and another can’t is wrong.”

The full list of signatories is as follows:
Cecelia Ahern
Alex Barclay
Colin Barrett
Kevin Barry
Sebastian Barry
Sara Baume
Dermot Bolger
Bono
John Boyne
Paul Brady
Adam Clayton
Eoin Colfer
Michael Colgan
Mary Costello
Cathy Davey
Martina Devlin
Emma Donoghue
Theo Dorgan
Rob Doyle
Paul Durcan
Christine Dwyer Hickey
The Edge
Anne Enright
Tom Farrelly
Roy Foster
Tana French
Gavin Friday
Mia Gallagher
Carlo Geébler
Bob Geldof
Anthony Glavin
Glen Hansard
Martin Hayes
Paul Howard
Declan Hughes
Garry Hynes
Jeremy Irons
Andy Irvine
Oliver Jeffers
Neil Jordan
Claire Keegan
Cathy Kelly
Marian Keyes
Claire Kilroy
Derek Landy
Fiach Mac Conghail
Aidan Mcardle
Eimear Mcbride
Colum Mccann
John Mccolgan
Aislin Mcguckin
Frank Mcguinness
Belinda Mckeon
Henrietta Mckervey
Robert Mcliam Wilson
Christy Moore
Thomas Morris
Mary Morrissy
Paul Muldoon
Larry Mullan Jr
Éilís Ní Dhuibhne
Joseph O’connor
Sinead O'Connor
Camille O'Sullivan
David Park
Glen Patterson
Kevin Power
James Ryan
Donal Ryan
Patricia Scanlan
Peter Sheridan
Ciara Sidine
Susan Stairs
Colm Tóibín
Sarah Webb