Ireland’s most famous musical philanthropist Bono recently turned his attention to the coronavirus pandemic, and when the U2 frontman puts his mind to something, you better believe it gets done.
Rather than take the well-traveled route of a musical tribute, Bono responded to a call from Ireland’s Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe by getting involved in the logistics of supplying frontline healthcare workers with personal protective equipment.
As the Irish Times reports, Bono not only pledged €10 million to help purchase additional PPE for Ireland, but also turned out to be “unusually knowledgeable about the art of price-per-unit bartering with Chinese suppliers.”
The result was a large consignment of medical supplies arriving on at Dublin Airport on a flight from China, privately funded by Bono and several other individuals and businesses.
Watch Bono sing ‘With Or Without You’ by U2:
“I explained to him that any role that people like him could play in it because of the way they connect people across the world would be a little part of the thread of the great story of how Ireland is responding,” said Minister Donohoe.
During his conversations with Minister Donohoe, Bono expressed his belief that it was the wrong time for a musical tribute, and that real action needed to be taken. “I just don’t think this is the moment for U2 to be doing a sort of Kumbaya thing.
“It just doesn’t feel right for me – it feels like a time for action rather than words.”
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“Proactively, off his own bat, he said he wanted to get involved in a very particular thing – he could find new ways of trying to source new PPE equipment for Ireland,” said Donohoe. “I was pushing a door that was already wide open because he was already thinking about it and the role he could play.”
For the Italians who inspired it… for the Irish… for ANYONE who this St. Patrick’s day is in a tight spot and still singing. For the doctors, nurses, carers on the front line, it's you we’re singing to.
Bono https://t.co/KtlyRJ3QaG— U2 (@U2) March 17, 2020
