Bono says united Ireland would be ‘wonderful’ but two states still at ‘dating stage’

A united Ireland would be “wonderful” but Northern Ireland and the Republic were just at the “dating” stage rather than “falling in love”, U2 frontman Bono has said.

Speaking to Channel 4 News, Bono described Ireland as a pond that was “too small for a feud among frogs”.

“In any marital arrangement, you’d like to think both parties would be attracted to each other, indeed falling in love would be great. We might not be at the falling-in-love stage, but we’re dating,” he said.

“We have done an amazing job at transforming our society. It feels freer, it feels fair, it’s not fair enough, we’ve got an issue with housing. There are problems in Ireland, but I think we look more and more attractive to our northern partner,” he said, adding that the prospect of a united Ireland would be “wonderful”.

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U2 guitarist The Edge said a united Ireland could not be imposed on Northern Ireland.

“United Ireland has to be united, it has to be actually united, not just imposed,” he told Channel 4 News. “I hate that the argument has shifted to power and sovereignty. John Hume had it right: it should be switched to community, reconciliation, finding common ground.”

On the topic of the US, Bono said the country was at a “low ebb at the moment”.

“All of our life, all of our adult life, the world was getting more free, since we were born basically and for the first time, it’s going in reverse,” he said. “We always thought sexual politics were improving, gender politics, you know, race relations, everything like that.

“America is still the best idea, it just hasn’t happened yet ... It is important that we demonstrate to the world what freedom looks like.”

The Edge said he felt democracy was having an “existential crisis” at present. “It’s very hard to imagine an argument against authoritarianism both at home and abroad when a substantial group of people, particularly in America, are actually second-guessing the principles of inclusion and freedom.”

Climate change was also the “existential threat of the generation”, which The Edge said was something that U2 “care a lot about”.

The pair were speaking as U2 begin a residency in Las Vegas, where the Irish band are set to play 25 shows between this Friday and the middle of December.