THE CENTRAL BANK has announced two new coins to commemorate rock band U2 and the late author Maeve Binchy. 

While there are no designs of the coins available just yet, they will be available in the coming weeks.

The bank said U2 will be honoured with an official €2 coin in BU and proof quality, adding that the band’s music and live shows “have inspired generations around the world for decades”. 

The coin will be dedicated to mark 50 years since Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen formed the band in 1976.

It is set to launch on 25 September.

Meanwhile, a €15 silver proof coin will celebrate the life and legacy of Maeve Binchy, “whose warm, unforgettable stories continue to captivate readers across the globe”, the bank said.

The author, who died in 2012, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide during her lifetime. The launch of her coin is planned for 2 October.

Both coins will be available to purchase on www.collectorcoins.ie.

A number of notable Irish figures have been commemorated on coins in the past, including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. 

Earlier this year, a coin was launched celebrating the life and work of renowned Irish playwright Seán O’Casey.

In 2025, a coin was released to mark the 100th anniversary of writer George Bernard Shaw winning the Nobel Prize for literature.

A commemorative coin for the late Dubliners musician Luke Kelly was released in 2022 as part of the ‘Modern Musician’ series of silver proof coins, which also featured coins dedicated to Rory Gallagher and Phil Lynott.