Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
BY THIS STAGE, one imagines, Bono must be growing a little tired of picking up awards and honours.
However, in spite of once famously describing former President of France Jacques Chirac as a “w*anker” over the leader’s decision to test nuclear weapons in the South Pacific, it appears – these days – that the U2 singer is in no mood to turn down an invitation from the French Government.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Communication, he will be made a ‘Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters’ in a ceremony in Paris later this evening.
The Killiney resident can add the distinction to a long list of honours for his humanitarian and musical work. Among that list are an honourary knighthood from Britain, and France’s Legion d’Honneur (awarded, it must be said, during Chirac’s time in office – so it appears he wasn’t one to bear a grudge!).
(Youtube: U2 – Vision over Visibility)
As part of U2, he also picked up the ‘Freedom of Dublin’ in 2000. He and The Edge made the most of the privileges afforded to them too – the day after the ceremony they brought ‘their’ sheep to Stephen’s Green to “graze freely on the common pasture of the city”.
Unfortunately for Bono, one of his flock – perhaps unnerved by the cameras – marred the occasion somewhat by relieving itself on the singer’s jacket. Fortunately for us, the moment will be replayed in Irish homes for as long as RTÉ exists, as part of Reeling In The Years 2000…
(Youtube: swgarrett1980)
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
He’s such a smug looking dick in that photo
Please find me a photo where he doesn’t?
Tis a level of smugness George Clooney could only dream of !
Ha ha, my thoughts exactly, Emilio!
Is there no end to this shite !!!!
Legion d’Artful Tax Dodger
So the most arrogant, condescending nation on the planet bestow their highest cultural award on the smuggest, most arrogant Irishman. That’s hardly surprising.
Why don’t they go one better and make him a Frenchman.
Everybody will be happy then. :)
Smug self serving git!
you Silent Witness sir, can coin a phrase… good day to you………..
Hypocritical tosser – despite all his huffing and puffing about the French nuking the South Pacific, he’s no problem accepting awards when it’s all about Bono
Everyone’s a hypocrite, everyone.
We thought you where a rock star humanitarian who was against war and poverty. But yet you where great pals with George bush and as you said your a business and your out to make money so stop asking people for two euro a month for your charity. Piss off or pay your taxes and spend your own money on the charity’s. creep as close to a billion and he’s asking the working man for two euro and month. Buggs me something terrible this guy.
You’ve no idea what your talking about… Absolutely none…
Enlighten him Vincent
In reality it’s bono that’s the w*nker! He should’ve donated all the revenue from his Facebook shares to charity & instead of asking ordinary average earners to donate to his poxy One foundation!!
I’m sure he could also afford to stop tax dodging
Poxy one foundation?
plus of the circe $18 million raised by the one charity, only $118,000 made it to the needy… strange, given the saleries earned by the staff there…according to reports…
“One” (one.org) is a lobbying group and they do not ask for donations from the public. It is not connected with the “One Foundation” which is nothing to do with Bono.
@Maurice – One.org is a lobbying group, it is not involved in the direct distribution of aid and it does not ask for donations from the public. If you look at their website you’ll see this – http://www.one.org. Yes, they do pay the people who work there which seems reasonable and they do distribute the surplus to other charities as far as I understand it. I’m not saying that they should not be questioned or criticised – they are far too close to corporate America for my liking – but it is important to get the basics right.
looks like they might be facing fraud charges D… make what you will of it.. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bono-charity-faces-fraud-charges/687346/
Maurice you did read the last couple of paragraphs in that article?
@Maurice – That article, which dates from 2012, is classic tabloid journalism that is about the headline and not the substance. I’m not sure if you read beyond the headline but if you did you will have seen that it backs up what I said – they do not distribute aid nor do they claim to.
What’s the difference between God & Bono?
God doesn’t go about thinking he’s Bono……
Mick -
Bono could have just been a rock star with u2 and made shitloads of money without begrudgers like you heaping scorn upon him. Instead, he chose to try and help people.
It seems he has helped an awful lot of people.
how many have you helped?
Ahhh shit we just having fun…. Love his music…. But he is no politician…. And Ireland is famous for begrudgers….. :)
So the tax dodger can now have the letters COAL after his name.
I wonder if the C stands for C…
Which taxes are those then?
You know what this means of course… The Brits were right about the French all along unfortunately….
Highest honour in France? Le Cockseucker…
Fair play to the guy , well deserved.
Can we have our “Freedom of Dublin” honour back please?
He took that too seriously. Freedom not to pay taxes.
And here we go again, some don’t mind him while some detest him.
Congrats Bono.
Lol. Alot of begrudgery in here. I doubt he gives a toss. FAIR play Bono.
He’s a music legend and we should appreciate him while he’s still around. Fair play
Couldn’t agree more, U2 are an amazing band and unfortunately it will probably be a long time till we see someone else from Ireland emulate their success, if ever.
He’s a disgrace of a human
They used to be good, but nowadays they just sound jaded and passé. They haven’t had a decent tune in about 20 years.
@Eamo,
A music legend to deaf people. :)
Graham I agree that U2 are a great band, the problem is that their front man is a dick head with his head so far up his own hole that he can lick his own tongue
Yea but it takes people like that to do what he’s done. Look at roy keane, it was his personality that drive him so much, same with john Lennon, we don’t know these people personally, and judging them from what we see on TV etc is a bit unfair (he does come across a bit annoying), he could be a totally sound normal guy when he’s not “performing” for the cameras
Also known as the Gerard Depardieu award
Yawn
Is it possible that we can take his Irish nationality off him, ban him & then never mention this bag of excriment ever again?
Man’s a legend….. If you watched the RTE doc, you’d be well impressed…
The guy was a complete tossed on gay byrne program. Described himself as an intellectual and then told us how much he believed in Jesus. The moron doesn’t see the irony. He’s a good rock musician. Period
Bono great man for criticizing politicians n governments around the world , but won’t speak up for his fellow Irishmen, then again I don’t know were hobbitian is so that wd explain a lot
Whenever I see his name I think of “Bonio” but that’s a dog’s dinner so no comparison.
I think he may have reached the stage of getting awards because he has so many others and governments don’t want to feel ungrateful or miserly or uncool.
Just a passing thought…………there, it’s passed already.
I do have to shave my balls regularly
I get more pleasure from that, than listening to that moran
Give the man a break. When the whole tax thing came to light everyone turned against him. So typical.
Fact of the matter is most people would do the same. And a lot people in this country did this illegally look at the whole Ansbacher scandal years ago. At least what they did was legal. They are a business. Their taxes would be quandered anyway. Paying for the mistakes of last bunch of cretins.
U2 have done great things for Ireland. Yes Bono can be annoying. But whatever you want to say about him the man has achieved at lot.
To be fair, I thought he was a smug egotistical self-serving pr!ck long before the tax thing broke.
There’s a kind of gulley runs up the side of his house in Killiney. Whilst out walking some time ago I ambled up to see where it led. Nowhere. Dead end street with no name. But somebody had spray painted up the perimeter wall ” Thank you for saving the world Bono”. Dontcha just love it! Having said that I have to admit I admire him somewhat.
Quite apt the French awarding him this I think.
Jasus, there’s some hatefull bastards on here today…
I wish this guy was English.
Le grand coq d’évasion fiscale
Regarding the headline: the question is, Why?
I am sure there is a much more deserving artist who should receive this honour!
I do have to shave my balls
I would rather do that than listen to that moran
Why do you heap so much scorn on this man?
You dont have to like him or his music to recognize his and his bands success.
A band (a true band) that has been together since 1978 and still has legions of fans worldwide is so so rare.
A man who has risked this success by trying to help people is scorned by most of the posters above – why?
Bono is Irish
U2 is Irish
Be proud that a small country can produce such a global sensation
Whats wrong with that?
I dont really have an opionion on bono only that i just find him so boring,that said he must be the only person that has achieved and done what he set out to do in life, and is still villified by his own countrymen,but begrudgery has always been our strong point,witness the comments on the Ryanair boss, maybe the 500 million euro in the bank account will compensate.
A pain in the h*le at this stage he should stick to singing
Willy Wonka
Bono has destroyed U2
Smug barsteward.
Bono is an ar$ehole
Not another platform for that plonker
Legion d’Honneur pour la tête de merde, pah.
Bono, Ireland’s answer to a question no one asked.
The male Gwyneth Paltrow.
Just saw him and his entourage here in St Germain des pres
OK, the subject of Bono has come up so I’m going to my happy place and replay old videos of U2 from the early 1980′s… http://youtu.be/yaTPls-m3sk
im not a huge bono fan either, love the music thou..but if u2 where to announce a string of concerts here the tickets would be snapped up in seconds by the very same begrudgers on here…and if I had his money id be tax dodging too …why should bono and others like him keep dole scroungers in pocket..irish begrudgery at it best…
i’d seriously doubt it Vin
have your say