I’m back after a few weeks off, a good part of which I spent in Ireland, traveling from Dublin to Sligo, my mother’s ancestral home, and back to Dublin to see Bruce Springsteen in concert. Needless to say, it was quite a trip.

On this week’s episode, I talk about Joe’s and the Clash’s connections to Ireland (that is, in addition to Joe’s filling in for Shane MacGowan from time to time, which I’ve talked about before), from the band’s support for the Irish republican cause (including the H Block protests in 1976) to Joe writing the song “46664 (Long Walk to Freedom)” with Bono and Dave Stewart to honor Nelson Mandela. 

Having spent some time at the James Joyce Centre in Dublin and having watched the documentary Bono and the Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with David Letterman, I also share my thoughts on the respective roles of Joyce and U2 in Irish cultural history, and how the latter, somewhat maligned these days, played a role in moving the country in the direction of a modern, progressive democracy. (By the way, the drag queen Dave interviews is Panti Bliss — how could I have forgotten her name?!)

From there, I talk about Springsteen’s phenomenal show in Dublin — and, yes, there’s a Clash connection here too! As I’ve mentioned before, it turns out that Joe was quite a fan, as this letter demonstrates. All in all, it was a great trip and it gave me a lot to think about!

Anyway, please give this week’s show a listen and share your thoughts in the comments below. And remember, as Joe always said, “Without people, you’re nothing.”