Beautiful day as friend of U2 donates band memorabilia to NI charity shop

A woman whose late mother worked for U2 and “treated them like her own” has donated memorabilia from the band to a Co Down charity shop.
Concern Worldwide Holywood charity shop volunteer Jim Henry with Maggie Mooney and one of the U2 framed album covers donated by her late mum BrigidConcern Worldwide Holywood charity shop volunteer Jim Henry with Maggie Mooney and one of the U2 framed album covers donated by her late mum Brigid
Concern Worldwide Holywood charity shop volunteer Jim Henry with Maggie Mooney and one of the U2 framed album covers donated by her late mum Brigid

Maggie Mooney, from Mullingar in Co Westmeath, is giving her mother’s collection of framed U2 CDs and album covers, concert programmes and tickets to Concern Worldwide’s second-hand charity shop in Holywood.

Her mother, Brigid Mooney, was a bookkeeper at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, where U2 recorded their early albums, before working exclusively for the band for more than a decade.

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She is listed among the credits for their bestselling albums The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby and only retired from the role at 73 – and was still attending U2 concerts up until then.

“She was like a mother to them,” said Maggie.

“And they were very good to her. They took her to concerts, and anytime they received a framed album and cover they would give her one as well.”

One of Brigid’s last wishes before she died 12 years ago was to leave her U2 collection to charity.

“She didn’t throw anything away that belonged to them,” added Maggie.

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“After she passed away, I kept it all in storage and decided to give it to Concern because a close friend of mine works for the charity. I thought it would be the best way to help them and fulfil my mother’s wishes.

“On one occasion my aunt found my mother fast asleep on her feet at a riotously loud concert in New York.”

Maggie herself has “fond memories of the boys” and also worked alongside U2 as a production assistant on their 1988 promo for Rattle and Hum – a framed CD of that album takes pride of place in her home.

Aileen McKee, Concern’s retail development manager in Northern Ireland, said it was a “great honour to receive such iconic items”.

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“The close relationship between Brigid and the band makes the collection all the more special, as does Bono’s long association with Concern dating back to 1985 when he visited Ethiopia to see our response to the famine,” she added.

The charity now plans to sell the memorabilia in its bookshop in Holywood and online, the proceeds of which will go towards Concern’s work with vulnerable communities in some of the world’s poorest places.

U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin, formed in 1976. By the mid-1980s, they had become renowned globally for their live act, highlighted by their performance at Live Aid in 1985.

The group’s fifth album, The Joshua Tree (1987), made them international superstars.