U2 fans gather in Dublin city centre for ‘surprise’ appearance by the band

Not since the election of the last Pope has a balcony been so watched as the one above Bewley’s in Grafton Street. Rumours have been circulating for days that U2 will make a surprise appearance there as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations this weekend. Dublin being Dublin, it is hardly a surprise, and a sense of expectation has gathered among fans that the band will turn up. On Friday afternoon, speakers had been positioned either side of the balcony and the upstairs area was closed to customers. READ MOREHundreds of fans from around the world are making the rock’n’roll pilgrimage to Dublin for the weekend. Many are among those you see queuing for hours to get front-row seats for their Dublin concerts. Members of the Flemish U2 fan club gather in Dublin for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the band. They booked this weekend in the full knowledge that they might not see the band at all, but they decided to come anyway to meet up with like-minded fans. “When I found out that U2 were going to be 50, I decided to book a hostel for this weekend,” said Tilles Tijmes, a Dutch man living in Denmark who is a member of the Flanders U2 fan club. “I knew there were people going to be here and we’re all big fans, so there’s going to be a big party anyway.” [ U2 are sometimes dismissed as do-gooders, but the last 50 years have proven it is no actOpens in new window ]Musician Erik Larson, originally from Italy, lives in Dublin. He was partially attracted to living in the city because of its connection with U2. “I love the vocals of Bono and also the guitar things that the Edge does, which are out of this world.” Craig Molloy’s love for U2 is only matched by the love for his wife, Stacey. The couple flew over from England for the weekend. He proposed to her during the U2 concert at the 3Arena in 2017. “It’s the only place he’d ever do it,” said Stacey. Craig Molloy and his wife Stacey from Derbyshire, England, are at Bewley's on Grafton Street for the 50th anniversary of U2. Todd and Lara Garrison-Gebhart came from Michigan in the United States for the weekend. They met in college and both share a love for U2. They have been fans since the band brought out their first records in the early 1980s. Todd and Lara Garrison-Gebhart flew from Michigan for U2's 50th anniversary. They came for The Joshua Tree concert in 1987. “U2 is always a good excuse to come to Dublin,” said Todd.