exclusive U2 WEBSITE ANNOYS BALLYMUN RESIDENTS"

[manwiththespinninhead]

THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN IRISH NEWS PAPER THE SUNDAY WORLD TODAY ABOUT THE UN-OFFICAL SITE U2EXIT

LOCALS RATTLED AND STUNNED BY U2 FANS



A warning telling fans of u2 to avoid ballymun is causing anger and confusion in the north dublin community.

for years , ballymunners have been honoured that lead singer bono immortalised the areas towering high rise complexes in the song RUNNING TO STAND STILL.

now people in the flourishing north dublin suburb are scratching their heads and are angry that an UNOFFICIAL U2 WEBSITE - U2EXIT.COM- is warning people to stay clear.

a spokeswoman for bono , who grew up in Glasnevin beside Ballymun, said hes very proud to come from the Balymun area .

although Ballymun was once derided as ans in-famous heroin ghetto, locals say that took place decades ago. but the UN-OFFICIAL U2 PAGE claims the area in the process of a ?1.3bn regeneration programme , should still be avoided.

the site lists places to visit on a tour of dublin landmarks made famous by the countrys most popular rock outfit.

but a clear message is issued to people thinking about visiting the inspiration for the song from the multi million selling album THE JOSHUA TREE album.

it warns BALLYMUN IS A HOUSING PROJECT NORTH OF THE CITY-DO NOT GO THERE ON FOOT , THIS IS A BAD AREA!
neither bono- given the freedom of dublin four years ago - nor the band is affiliated with the website, but its still a huge disapointment for people like POPPINTREE COMMUNITY WORKER JIMMY GILCHRIST and head of the local drugs taskforce HUGH GREAVES.

U2 SHOULD ASK THE SITES MANAGERS TO REMOVE OR REVISE THE INSULT TO BALLYMUN SAYS JIMMY.

my son michael (33) became a fan of the band at the time of the joshua tree and has all their albums he tells the SUNDAY WORLD.

i think he would be annoyed by somthing like this . when the song was written i think maybe bono could have been jumping on the bandwagon to get down with ballymun, its not his fault , but people would be upset by whats written, ballymun is not an area where you would have to fear for your life - its far from that!

anti drugs campaigner hugh says the area has taken huge strides to tackle the drugs problem that crippled ballymun 20 years.

id be terribly disapointed if these remarks were not taken off the site , he said the old image of ballymuns seven towers , suicide and drugs is gone.

 

[Ballymun]

I think the writer of the newspaper article is getting a little bit carried away, and they're actually mis-quoting the website.

U2Exit.com's description of "a housing project north of the city" refers specifically to the Ballymun Towers, not the entire suburb of Ballymun (as the article implies):

Ballymun Flats

One of the seven towers Bono sings of in "Running To Stand Still," a housing project north of the city; do NOT go here on foot -- this is a bad area

I walked around the streets of Ballymun in 1996, and felt perfectly safe. However, I deliberately kept away from the seven towers, because of their bad reputation. I think the advice on U2Exit.com is fair enough.

 

[valentina]

I know how disappointing things like that could be!
But the most important thing is to keep in mind what YOU know to BE true.
Newpapers write a lot of stupid and uncorrect things... So often they don't care and don't give a minute to check things they're writing about.

So, manwiththespinninghead (great name!!!!!) be quite!

I live in a area, which had a bad reputation once. It still has a bit of that bad reputation, but it's a quite confortable and safe place!

 

[neutral]

I think the writer of the newspaper article is getting a little bit carried away, and they're actually mis-quoting the website.

Agreed, the writer sounds like he/she is going to have a stroke over this. It makes it a little hard for me to even take the article seriously.

 

[discothequeLP]

wow!



i never knew this bit about Running to Stand Still. I love the song even more now




The writer at U2Exit could have made his sentence clearer, but you can't blame him. Good for him for sharing the information

 

[Hanover]

Quite clearly it's a lot of fuss over nothing. Actually I came across this Dublin guide on U2Exit years ago and it never once entered my mind that it was an insult to the residents of ballymun. I think the person that actually wrote the few lines describing the towers had probably heard a lot concerning the problems that were on-going then and bought into it...even the photo that accompanied the listing was taken from a car so it looks like the writer was actually petrified to step out and take the photo whilst standing on two feet...

Take a look at the photo and article yourself and see if you feel it should be removed. I'm certain that if it was the webmaster of this site would have done so by now...considering the hype it's creating.

U2Exit - U2's Dublin

Bono once introduced Dublin as the band took to the stage in Live Aid back in '85 "We're an Irish band, we come from Dublin City Ireland...like all cities it has it's good and it has it's bad...this is a song called Bad" And that song dealt specifically with the drug crisis. Everywhere is the same...no place or city is completely safe.

 

[U2Kitten]

People from LA are afraid of Ballymun? LA has one of the worst reps anywhere.

(no offense, I live in a very high crime, high drug area myself)

 

[U2Kitten]

Thank you Hanover for a perspective from a Dubliner's point of view!