A Sort Of Homecoming

It’s often said to be the biggest rock band on the planet and its singer is an international champion for the poor and downtrodden, but U2 seems to be upsetting a lot of people in its home city of Dublin.

The act has angered Irish environmentalists over two building projects and come under fire for avoiding Irish taxes by moving its music publishing company to the continent to pay a lower rate on royalties.

An Taisce, Ireland’s equivalent of the National Trust, attacked the band’s plans to partly demolish and redevelop a hotel on the banks of the city’s River Liffey, the U.K.’s Guardian reported.

The environmentalists are also wanting a public inquiry into what’s being called "U2 Tower," a 32-story building to be built at the mouth of Dublin Bay.

It’s designed by Norman Foster, whose company did the Swiss Re London headquarters (nicknamed "The Gherkin"), and would be Ireland’s tallest building.

An Taisce says it will be a blight on Dublin’s Georgian cityscape on the southern side of the Liffey.

"Our biggest concern is that the U2 Tower will stick out of the skyline from parts of Georgian Dublin like Merrion Square. It could potentially be an incongruous blot on the skyline on the south side of the city," An Taisce’s national heritage officer Ian Lumley told the Guardian.

"From the limited information we have seen about the proposed tower there is no consideration being taken into the impact of rising sea levels," he explained.

"This tower is at the mouth of Dublin Bay and yet no provision has been made as to the effect of rising sea levels on an entire area earmarked for more residential living as well as businesses. For all these reasons there has to be an independent public inquiry before this project is allowed to go ahead."

There’s more controversy about another U2-owned property in the country. The Clarence Hotel, which the band revitalised as part of a wider scheme to revive the Temple Bar district, is also catching flak from An Taisce.

The £100 million revamp has also been criticised by veteran environmentalist Mike Smith, who is prepared to go to court to put a stop to it.

"Since 2000 Ireland has had strong protection for listed buildings, which are now called protected structures," he said. "In the case of The Clarence the developers’ belief that there is an exceptional need to pander to international five-star punters’ alleged insistence on underground parking and swimming pools is unlikely to pass muster."

He said if An Bord Pleanála – the Irish planning authority – gives the project the go-ahead, then he’ll go straight to the high court to block it.

Smith also had harsh words for U2’s decision to move part of its music operations to Holland: "The common good is not served by allowing the richest people in Ireland to build with the benefit of tax incentives, which is what happened to Temple Bar and The Clarence, only to demolish when they get bored."

Supporters of The Clarence project say its upside is that it would encourage investment in the city and be a magnet for business people and tourists.