U2's Dublin: 10 iconic landmarks in the band's home city

On St Patrick's Day, U2 are set to release Songs Of Surrender, an album of 40 re-recorded songs from their back catalogue - from One to I Will Follow and Desire.

On the same day, Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming, will be released on the Disney+ streaming service.

Following the pair as they explore Dublin with David Letterman, it comes hot on the heels of Bono's book, Surrender, and there's also a residency at the $2bn MSG Sphere in Las Vegas slated for autumn.

Independent.ie teamed up with Visit Dublin to highlight ten of the city sites associated with the band... from former homes to one of Europe's biggest stadiums.

1. Cedarwood Road

Start at the beginning! Glasnevin's Cedarwood Road is where Bono grew up - in a modest-looking, privately-owned pebble-dash house. He sings about his childhood in a song of the same name from band's 2014 album, Songs of Innocence.

Number 10 has been home to different families since 1986, but U2 fans still swing by for selfies - particularly when a new album or tour is in full swing.

"A nice street full of nice families - people who shaped my world view," Bono wrote in the album notes. "But there was a lot of violence nearby in my teenage years..."

Larry Mullen Jr, meanwhile, grew up at 60 Rosemount Avenue in Artane, where the (then nameless) band held their first meeting and audition. "I was in charge for the first five minutes," Mullen has said. "As soon as Bono got there, I was out of a job."

Not far from there, off the Malahide Road, is Mount Temple, the multi-denominational school where the four members of U2 first came together after Mullen pinned the now-famous note seeking potential bandmates on the school notice board.

2. Fitzwilliam Square

Remember when Bono set off on a horse and carriage ride with wife Ali in 'The Sweetest Thing' (2009)? That was on Fitzwilliam Square.

The Georgian strip hasn't changed much in the ensuing two decades (just don't expect marching bands or elephants). Best random moment? Watch out for a very boyish-looking Boyzone joining the bandwagon at 0.40. Yegadz!

Other U2 videos featuring scenes from Dublin include Gloria, A Celebration, Pride (In The Name of Love) and Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own.

3. Bonavox store

The busy strip from the Spire down to Connolly station boasts several buildings of interest for the U2 aficionado, including the Bonavox hearing aid store (9 North Earl Street) from which Paul Hewson took the name ‘Bono’.

Aptly, the name means 'good voice' in Latin.

Nearby, the former Moran’s Hotel (subsequently O’Shea’s) is where U2 and many of their contemporaries played in the late 1970s, and Talbot Street was in Bono’s mind when he wrote the powerful ‘Raised by Wolves’ from Songs of Innocence.

"On any other Friday I would have been at this record shop, but I cycled to school that day," he later said of Golden Discs on Talbot Street. It was caught in one of three UVF bombs detonated in the capital on May 17, 1974.

4. The Clarence Hotel

Originally built in 1852 and set near Grattan Bridge, The Clarence hotel was famously owned by Bono and The Edge (together with developer Paddy McKillen Sr). The band once played 'Beautiful Day' live from the rooftop for Top of the Pops.

Today, the hotel is run by Ireland's Press-Up Group, and has been undergoing a major refurb (read our latest Clarence hotel review here). The building is still owned by the U2 frontman and guitarist, however.

Across the road from the rear of the hotel (on East Essex Street) sits The Project Arts Centre - though substantially revamped today, it was here that future manager Paul McGuinness first saw the band play.

5. Croke Park

GAA headquarters has been a fixture of U2’s Dublin shows since The Unforgettable Fire Tour in 1985 (the above photo is from The Joshua Tree Tour of 1987).

Of course, the old ground has undergone a major facelift since then and today's stadium tour and GAA museum visit are hot tickets themselves (crokepark.ie)... visitors get to go pitchside, step into the changing rooms and explore the highest corners of the Cusack Stand.

The skyline also delivers a breathtaking 360-degree view of the city and offers a birds eye vantage of Europe’s fourth biggest stadium by capacity.

6. Little Museum of Dublin

Wanna catch up on your U2 history? Drop into the small-but-perfectly formed Little Museum of Dublin (littlemuseum.ie), where you'll find U2: Made in Dublin.

The pint-sized (but permanent) exhibition boasts signed albums, a Trabant car (from their Achtung Baby days) and even U2-branded condoms...

Across the road, St Stephen’s Green was where Bono and the Edge grazed lambs after being awarded the Freedom of Dublin in 2000, as its arcane rules permitted them to do.

Also nearby is the former site of The Dandelion Market, where the band played early gigs (admission was rather good value at 50p).

7. The Point/3Arena

The 14,000-capacity 3Arena is where U2 played their first indoor shows in Dublin in 26 years - during the 2015 Songs of Experience Tour. Its old incarnation, The Point, saw the band playing a trio of celebrated shows at the end of 1989.

The old venue also featured prominently in the U2 movie, Rattle & Hum - it was about to be transformed into a music venue, but at the time of filming still bore the hallmarks of its original use - a train carriage depot.

8. Hanover Quay

Hanover Quay, in the rapidly gentrifying Grand Canal Dock, is the 21st century Mecca for visiting U2 fans - the band's studio has been here for over 20 years.

Look out for the low-rise, warehouse-style building looking a little lost alongside modern piles like the five-star Marker Hotel and Daniel Libeskind-designed Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.

A U2 museum and visitor centre has been touted for the area.

Windmill Lane was of course the site of U2's most famous recording studio and an iconic graffiti wall. It was demolished in 2015, but you can take studio tours of the "new" Windmill Lane Studios in Ringsend. Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love, The Chieftains’ The Long Black Veil, The Commitments soundtrack, and PJ Harvey’s To Bring You My Love were made here. U2 cut Zooropa and Pop and mixed Achtung Baby in these studios, which opened in the former Bovril factory in 1990.

You'll find another memorial to Irish music in Temple Bar, where U2 feature among other acts on the Wall of Fame.

9. Killiney

'Tis far from Killiney Bono was reared, but this is where the singer resides today - in a spanking mansion overlooking 'Ireland's Bay of Naples'.

It's said that the stunning view of the Irish Sea from Vico Road provided the inspiration for the band's No Line on the Horizon album, and the picture-postcard village of Dalkey is also a popular stomping ground for the singer.

10. Baggot Street

The Baggot Inn has been given a facelift in recent years (it's now Mexican-themed 'party cavern' Xico), but it was here in 1978 that the embryonic U2 played a residency that helped them hone their craft... and grow their audience.

The iconic venue hosted more than its fair share of famous acts over the years - including surprise performances by David Bowie (above). At least it still exists, unlike other landmarks in the band's career such as The Dandelion Market and McGonagles.

For more on Dublin by foot, see visitdublin.com. This story has been updated since its original publication date.