This story about going to Croke Park to see U2, part of their U2 360° Tour, on July 24 is a bittersweet one because we originally hadn’t planned on going to the concert. The original plan was for our friends Rick and Rachel, with whom we were staying with in London, to go to the concert with our mutual friends, Jen and David. We were simply going to drink in a pub outside while enjoying the insane atmosphere.

Unfortunately, through miscommunication and airport/airline indifference (here’s the full story), Jen and David were unable to make the concert and we bought their tickets from them.

Before the Concert

The concert itself was amazing. We spent a few hours having a few pints at Hill 16, a popular pub (popular would probably be an understatement) near Croke Park, and then walked around until we found our entrance to the stadium.

Hill 16, the hill itself, has quite a bit of history behind it. Hill 16, the pub, does as well; we just wanted to make the distinction between the two for your sake. We were at the pub, not the hill itself.

Outside the Concert

The area outside Croke Park before the concert was insane. There were a ridiculous number of people milling around, numerous vendors selling their wares, and an absurd number of portajohns. I have to give them credit, the public services were very good considering how many people there were. They were well prepared.

We thought about getting some food beforehand but when we learned that a hot dog would cost 5 euros, we decided to wait until after we got home to get food! Five euros! That’s highway robbery.

During the Concert

Unfortunately we didn’t bring any cameras because we were afraid they’d be confiscated but they didn’t even check (the tickets said no cameras), but we did get some cell phone pictures of the concert. Once we figure out how to extract them from the phone (it’s our friend’s pay as you go phone), we’ll post some.

U2 played for over two hours, touching all their major hits and some of their minor ones. I’m not a die-hard U2 fan but I do enjoy their music and it wasn’t until the concert that I really appreciated just how many hits they had.

In their trademark “activist” style, they spotlight both the Iranian post-election unrest and the imprisonment of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi. Here’s some video, from the Monday Dublin concert, spotlighting the Iranian post-election unrest:

As you can see in that video, the production was massive and incredibly impressive. Overall, a fantastic experience.

Getting Home

On the trip back we opted for a taxi because there was no way we were getting onto a bus with the mass of people getting out. Traffic was horrendous, as you’d imagine after a stadium full of people comes streaming out the doors, so a taxi was the only way to go.

It was a great night.

1. Guinness Storehouse Tour in Dublin
2. First Day in Dublin, Ireland
3. Ryan Air Flight: London Luton to Dublin
4. Lunch at the Brazen Head Inn