Advertisement

Readers like you keep news free for everyone.

More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.

Support us today
Not now
Monday 20 March 2023 Dublin: 11°C
# the chieftain
'We'd like to honour our graceful leader': Enda gets a shout-out from Bono in Chicago
Enda’s on his farewell tour as Taoiseach – and happened to be in Chicago at the same time as the band.

U2 Live in Chicago Daniel DeSlover / PA Images The Joshua Tree Tour at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois Daniel DeSlover / PA Images / PA Images

TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY kicked off his ‘farewell’ US trip with a bang on Sunday, as he attended a U2 concert in Chicago

Bono even paid tribute to their VIP guest from the stage of Soldier Field, where the band were appearing as part of their Joshua Tree 30th anniversary tour.

The U2 frontman appeared to struggle to explain the term ‘Taoiseach’ to the crowd at first.

The man we call Taoiseach, which I think might mean head of the house or something like that … The chieftain of our country is here tonight!
He’s here with us on the job. He’s here tonight because he knows Chicago can throw a party!

As the band began a song, he told the stadium crowd:

We’d like to honour our graceful leader.

Kenny was straight back to business yesterday morning, where he delivered two speeches, the first at the Chicago Council for Global Affairs and the second to business leaders at the Ocean Cut restaurant to mark the opening of Enterprise Ireland’s new Chicago office.

During a discussion at the Chicago Council, Kenny expressed his disappointment at US President Donald Trump’s stance on the Paris agreement.

The decision to pull out of the climate deal was “disappointing to put it lightly,” he said, according to RTÉ - adding that you couldn’t “ignore the accuracy of scientific facts”.

The main focus of Kenny’s trip is the links between Ireland and America.

Kenny announced a referendum to grant Irish citizens abroad the right to vote in Irish presidential elections, last March.

He emphasised the importance of bringing the undocumented Irish living in America “out of the shadows”.

Read: ‘Nothing to do with Enda leaving’: Web Summit organisers announce Dublin event

More: Enda’s off to Chicago to promote Ireland

Your Voice
Readers Comments
47