Where it's not just the streets that have names

Posted by TheYank at 7/21/2009 2:28 PM EDT

I read in the Irish Times today that there is a travel agency in Boston that has booked a U2 tour to Ireland for this week's three big U2 concerts at Dublin's Croke Park. Not only will these U2 fanatics from America get tickets to the show(s), but they will also dine at U2's Clarence Hotel and go on a U2-themed tour or two around Dublin.

I hope the tour group gets to come out to the Dalkey/Killiney area where Bono lives. Thanks to the fact that my in-laws live in Dalkey I've spent quite a bit of time there. {For the record, my in-laws do not live in a Bono-style mansion.}

It's beautiful there and there are a few great walks, the best of which is up to the top of Dalkey/Killiney Hill. From the top of the hill you can see near-by Dalkey Island, over Dublin and Killiney Bays, across the city and out towards the Dublin mountains. The views are tremendous no matter which way you turn.


{Bono's house is directly below this shot. He has a great view.}

Among the big houses built along the side of Dalkey/Killiney Hill facing out to toward the sea is Bono's house. As you can imagine, all of the houses around this area are tremendous, although some are more tremendous than others. I'm sure Bono's is great, but it's not really easy to get a good look at it, and that's probably just as well. He has a big black gate in front of his house and whenever Bono's in town a small crowd of young folks seem to stand there. How they know when he's in town is a mystery to me.

Bono's not the only famous person who lives in the area either. I think the Edge might still have a house there, but I'm not sure. Van Morrison, Neil Jordan and Maeve Binchy all live in the area, although Binchy lives just about in the heart of Dalkey, in a much more modest house than those other three. I think Chris de Burgh lives in Dalkey too.



Like I said walking around Dalkey/Killiney Hill is a real treat (if it's dry). When you're in an area where the views aren't quite so great, you can enjoy the houses. Many are fairly old and many are unique. No numbers on the houses either. Each house has a name. Most of the names are towns and villages in Ireland, probably the ancestral home of the person who built or owns the house. I have often told my wife that when we get rich we're buying one of those houses and we're going to call it Cooperstown. I've always wanted to be in Cooperstown.