U2 are an Irish band. That may sound like an obvious statement about the biggest rock band in the world, but just because it’s obvious doesn’t make it any less vital. The fact that U2 are Irish is precisely what makes U2 what they are— the biggest rock band in the world. Yes, they’ve grown into that. They could grow out of it again. But they are, always were, and always will be an Irish band. That will never change.

Irishness is something almost impossible to pin down and explain. It’s about being totally aware of your roots and your culture, your country’s politics, its history, its attitudes and its failures. Irish children grow up with a knowledge of political and economic history that most countries ignore; they know traditional songs that have been handed down for generations. They know that their capital city, Dublin, is losing its grip on its youth as they fight to find a future they know they’ll never find at home—and so they leave in droves to try and make a life elsewhere in the world. Everyone needs a shining example and for Dublin’s youth, U2 are about as good as you can get. They are local boys who’ve done it. They made a life, they made a mark. It can be done.