In autumn 1976, drummer Larry Mullen put a note on the notice board at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, looking for people to join a band. Four friends joined up: Paul Hewson (aka Bono Vex), Dave Evans (aka The Edge), Dik Evans, and Adam Clayton. Dik soon left to join the Virgin Prunes, while the remaining four formed 'Feedback' before changing to 'The Hype' and then settling on U2.

The band's first break came in 1978, winning a talent contest on St. Patrick's Day in Limerick. Bono later recalled that they had beaten off many technically better bands because of what he called 'a spark', which had produced a great atmosphere on stage. One of the judges that week was Jackie Heyden of CBS Records, who was impressed and arranged their first demo session. It was not a great success - the band's inexperience and lack of studio time combining to hinder their efforts - but it was a start and the band from Dublin have gone on to become the biggest band on the planet.

Native to Ireland and England, uilleann pipes date back about 300 years to the beginning of the 18th century and probably share some common ancestry with Scots lowland pipes and other bellows blown pipes of the region.


The Ulster Orchestra is Northern Ireland's only professional touring orchestra and has been established for thirty years. Throughout the dark period of 'the troubles', the Orchestra played in its central Belfast venue, The Ulster Hall, and continues to do so. Even in the bleakest times, no performance was ever missed. The Ulster Orchestra has a fulltime roster of 63 players and an administrative staff of 17. Its core symphonic work is of the highest standard, as the catalogue of over fifty recordings bears witness.


Formed in Derry in late 1975 with five mates playing cover versions in local clubs. There was Feargal Sharkey on vocals, principal songwriter John (Sean) O'Neill on guitar, his brother Damian also on guitar, Michael Bradley on bass and Billy Doherty on drums. By 1977 they were performing their own material, but it would be another year before their debut single - "Teenage Kicks," famously described by influential DJ John Peel as his favorite song of all time. - hit the shops. Their first single became their first chart entry. After four albums - The Undertones (1979), Hypnotised (1980), Positive Touch (1981) and The Sin Of Pride (1983), falling sales and increasing tensions within the band led to a parting of the ways. Feargal Sharkey enjoyed a brief but successful solo career, while the O'Neill brothers formed That Petrol Emotion. The ban has performed recently without Sharkey.

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