// DO YOU HAVE TICKETS???//

Members of U2.com are reporting that they have received tickets for the June 24th Croke Park show. Ours should arrive any day!!!

// DOLLAR FALLS ON RESERVE SHIFT WORRIES //

Dollar falls below key technical support levels. $1 now ='s €1.32. Link to full article.

The real question is what do the 60/90/120 day futures markets indicate???

// PROJECT DUBLIN IMPROVEMENT //

// Contributors can now publish new posts via e-mail. It's as simple as sending an e-mail. //

/// WHAT NEXT ///

The tickets are sold out, the hotels are booking up. What next- we need to make Friday night dinner reservations. According to Interference, even the restaurants are booking up now.

/// OLDEST DUBLIN PUB ///

The Old Stand- The oldest pub in Dublin. Over 300 Years old. We just might need to stop in for a pint. http://www.theoldstandpub.com/index.html

// U2 SWEEPS 3 GRAMMYS //

U2 SWEEPS THREE GRAMMYS
February 13, 2005
posted by: m2 "Vertigo" swept all three categories in which it was nominated at tonight's Grammy Awards in Los Angeles:

- Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal
- Best Rock Song (songwriters award)
- Best Short Form Music Video

If you missed the video you can catch it at U2Exit.com

Also- The band gave a strange acceptance speech- Edge dedicated the Grammy to his daughter (who might have leukemia), Bono said he was genuinely surprised, and Larry commented on uncertainty of live performances for the rest of the year and apologizes to the fans for the problems with obtaining tickets.

Here's an interesting quote off of a link from Zootopia- Mels U2 Blog Looks like we're lucky to even have a Dublin date.

/// HOTEL UPDATE - BOOKED UP/ RATES DOUBLE///

Quoted from U2tours.com

"Dublin hotels double rates for U2 weekend

February 13, 2005

Source: Sunday Business Post

Niamh Connolly

Some Dublin hotels are more than doubling their room rates on the weekend of June 24-25, when U2 play two concerts in Croke Park. Up to 160,000 fans will attend the concerts, putting pressure on hotels in Dublin.

Many hotels contacted by The Sunday Business Post this weekend were already booked out.

The three-star Regency Hotel close to Dublin Airport is charging EU300 per room and is already booked out with four months to go. The standard rate quoted was EU130 per room for a Saturday night.

The three-star Ashling Hotel on the quays in the city centre, which is also fully booked, is charging EU240 per night, almost twice the hotel's regular room rate at the weekend.

A hotel website was charging EU476 for the two nights at the Academy Hotel off O'Connell Street, compared to the standard rate of EU318 for two nights. Bewleys hotels charge a flat rate of EU99 per room. The six Jury's Inns, which are also booked out, maintained their standard rate of EU130 per room.

John Power, chief executive of the Irish Hotels Federation, said that “everywhere in the world where you have fairs or sports events and concerts you will have pressure on hotel rooms, and this can lead to increased rates. That's the operation of the free market.”

© Sunday Business Post, 2005."

// CROKE PARK WAS LOCATION OF SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY ///

Interesting fact regarding SUnday Bloody Sunday.

"Read any Irish textbook and you will no doubt read about the events that set the stage to one of U2's most political songs. In 1921, the counter intelligence of the original Irish Republic Army discovered the identities of British agents who had methodically killed members of Sinn Fein. The IRA broke into the houses of the spies and assassinated them in their beds. In retaliation, The British sent its ruthless police force known as the Black and Tans to Croke Park where they opened fire on the crowd attending a football match there. Twelve men and women were shot dead and 60 others were wounded. It became known as Bloody Sunday. This event was echoed in 1972 when the Paratroop Regiment of the British Army opened fire during a civil rights demonstration in Derry and killed 14 unarmed people, wounding another 14. The anger and disbelief in Ireland was ripe. The violence in Northern Ireland escalated and throughout the decade and into the next, the Dubliners became desensitized to the violence. Bono felt that the Irish couldn't afford to forget nor should they want to.

SBS has become a staple of live shows, and in early performances Bono declares, "This is not a rebel song", meaning that the lyrics could not be taken as support for the Republican cause. It is an emotional response to appalling political reality."

/// TICKETS IN HAND??///

Some people have received their Croke Park Tickets. It looks like we'll have to wait a bit. Ticketmaster.ie won't send out the Pre-Sale tickets until U2.com gives the go ahead because of all the pre-sale crap. http://www.u2.com/bbs/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=207272&an=0&page=6#207272

/// POSSIBLE OUTDOOR STAGE SETUP///

This is coming off a german fan site. This might be the stage setup for the out door European Leg of Vertigo Tour. I don't know what or how big the two things in the middle are but I hope they don't block our view in Dublin.

/// HOTEL UPDATE ///

Looks like we got the hotel reservation just in the nick of time. I checked the Paramount's website to last night and they no longer have rooms available for June 24th.

// audioBLOGGER enabled//

Just click on the link and the audio will play.

//// HOTEL RESERVED ////

Reservations have been confirmed at the PARAMOUNT HOTEL located in the heart of Temple Bar. Dates confirmed for June 22, 2005 through June 25, 2005. Reservations can be cancelled 48 hours prior to scheduled arrival. Deposit was only $30.00.

Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, ect. all showed no rooms available. I secured the reservation through the hotel's own website. The site indicated that they have two rooms remaining out of 70. Twin beds were requested. We should call them to make sure our reservation and room requirement is in place.

The Hotel: Paramount Hotel "Set in the midst of Dublin’s Temple Bar district, Paramount Hotel is a calm contrast to the buzzing streets outside. Rooms are decorated in muted tones of taupe and brown, with 1930s touches and Internet connections. Bistro dishes and drinks are served in the glamorous Turk’s Head Bar, which turns into a party venue by night. Guests can enjoy an array of amenities including Internet access and room service. Paramount Hotel features 70 guestrooms, all of which include dial-up Internet access and tea/coffee making facilities. Turk’s Head Bar - Extravagantly decorated with mosaics and Spanish design touches, this bar serves food until 8.30 PM and then transforms into a vibrant late night venue, complete with DJs."

Reviews:
Tripadvisor
Fordors
This is Travel
On Line Review
Another On Line Review

// DUBLIN GUIDE //

Fodors has a 3 day guide for Dublin that gives a good idea of things to see.

/// SNOW PATROL TO OPEN CROKE PARK SHOW///

SNOW PATROL REPORTEDLY OPENING FOR
U2//VERTIGO // EUROPEAN // TOUR

Dublin, IE Croke Park

CHECK OUT THEIR MUSIC:
snowpatrol player

LIKE WE CARE- WE'LL BE AT THE GUNNIESS STAND

WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ROUND

ANY QUESTIONS

// YOU’RE ON DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION //

Dead at 72

/// MCB YOU'VE GOT BLOG! ///

Check your e-mail.

/// DUBLIN SOLD OUT IN 50 MINUTES ///

// DUBLIN SELLS OUT IN 50 MINUTES //

// U2 BREAKS IRELAND SALES RECORD //

// NO THIRD DATE ADDED //

Two news

/// DRIVING IN IRELAND ///

///Lets not let this happen to us!!!/// (Audi A3 or A4 split in half and wrapped around a tree somewhere in Europe)

According to MSNBC, Ireland has one of the best drives in Europe.

2. The Causeway Coast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Curving around the northeast corner of Ireland, from Larne to Dunluce Castle, a thousand shades of Irish green play against the deep blue of the Atlantic. Here you'll find the Giant's Causeway, a fascinating geological structure of crystallized basalt. Legends provide plausible interpretations of its formation. The locals were convinced that the walkway was built by a Scottish giant who upon arriving in Ireland was tricked by the Irish giant, Finn McCool, and retreated to Scotland destroying most of the causeway behind him, thus the name for the sight.

Two people have recommended against renting a big car/truck because the roads in Ireland are tiny.

/// SMOKING BAN ///

Check this out- looks like we'll be smoking outside.

"Ireland has introduced a blanket ban on smoking in all places of work to protect public health and reduce the incidences of smoking-related illness.
The date for introduction is Mach 29 2004. Once it arrives, no smoking will be allowed in public areas within the Republic of Ireland – this includes all bars, night clubs and restaurants.
Although hotel bedrooms will be exempt from the ban, it will be applied to all other areas within hotels." www.tourismireland.com.

/// MEETUP IN DUBLIN ///

//Here's a thread off Zootopia of people traveling to see the show from all over. Including a guy who's b-day is on June 27th. //

////

another link (3/6/05)

/// TICKET ISSUES ///

I posted this thead on interference.com Check out reply # 5. That person didn't get much better tickets than we did, but picked them up yesterday (one section closer, lower level). I sent an e-mail to Ticketmaster but haven't seen anything yet. General Sales go up on 2/4/2005. Do we want to push this?? I also posted the same question on U2.com check out the replys.

Interefernce
http://forum.interference.com/t112455.html
Zootopia
http://www.u2.com/bbs/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=166004&an=0&page=1&gonew=1#UNREAD