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Dublin gets its own music hall of fame

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Andrew Bushe

DUBLIN — Some of the biggest names in the Irish music business have contributed to a £5 million multimedia hall of fame for the industry, which is due to open later this month in the center of Dublin.

The high-tech hall will contain music memorabilia from the Corrs, U2, Van Morrison, the Cranberries, Sinéad O’Connor, Bob Geldof and Boyzone and promises a "sensation of direct contact with star quality."

Part of the new facility on Middle Abbey Street, the 620-seat live music venue, opened Tuesday.

The interactive hall of fame is expected to be ready in about three weeks as state-of-the-art equipment is finalized.

Folk music, the showband era, the emergence of rock, garage bands, the rise of U2, the Celtic explosion, Irish pop and the future of Irish music will all be featured.

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Behind the idea for the hour-and-40-minute walk-through tour documenting the history of Irish music is Hot Press magazine editor Niall Stokes.

"The hall of fame is designed to give people a real insight and understanding of why we are where we are in music internationally at the moment and the roots of that in the Irish tradition," he said.

Also in the new hall will be an East German Trabant car used by U2, and the graffiti-bedecked security man’s hut from the Windmill Lane recording studios.

It will also include Sinéad O’Connor’s first royalty check (uncashed), hand-written lyrics from Phil Lynott and other stars, and letters between the stars, such as one from Pete Townsend to Boyzone.

Also, there will be the T-shirt worn by Bob Geldof on the day of Live Aid and the contract he signed with Wembley stadium for the concert.

"There will be lots of curious and interesting things that people wouldn’t have had sight of before and they will be able to see them in their context," Stokes said.

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