U2 donate £8.7 million to coronavirus fight in Ireland

From Planet Rock.

U2 have personally donated €10 million (approx £8.7 million) to the fight against coronavirus in their native Ireland.

Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr’s massive donation will be used to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare workers combating coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ireland.

A spokesperson for U2 confirmed their generous pledge to the PA News agency yesterday.

According to RTE, U2’s significant cash boost is part of initiative involving Irish aircraft leasing company Avolon, that is bringing together public and private companies to raise funds to purchase PPE equipment from China.

The first shipment arrived in Dublin on Tuesday (7th April) via one of Avolon’s planes and the cargo included 40 ventilators and 60,000 goggles, 200,000 face masks.

Irish PM Leo Varadkar, whose government has spent £200 million on sourcing PPE from China with Aer Lingus, welcomed the initiative from Avolon.

“Govt has ordered what in normal times would be a 13-year supply of PPE,” Leo Varadkar tweeted.

“Even so, all assistance from private sector and general public is welcome. We’d rather be using it than looking for it. And, when it’s all over we can build a stockpile and help out other countries in need too.”

Bono penned a coronavirus themed song called ‘Let Your Love Be Known‘ a month ago that he dedicated ‘doctors, nurses and carers’ fighting the virus.

Last week, Metallica donated four grants totalling $350,000 (£283,000) to charities helping the vulnerable during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the US.

On Monday (6th April), Black Sabbath legend Tony Iommi launched an online auction, including his signed Epiphone SG guitar, to raise money for the NHS.

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