U2: U2faqs.com - Geography FAQ

The FAQs

Geography FAQ

1. Where is the castle on the cover of The Unforgettable Fire?

The castle on The Unforgettable Fire is NOT Slane Castle. The album was partly recorded at Slane Castle, but the castle on the front cover is called Moydrum and is in County Westmeath, in the heart of Ireland, just east of the town of Athlone. It's about a 2-hour drive from Dublin and is not easy to get to. Directions: Get on the N4, go as far as Kinegadd, then take N6. As you get on the Athlone bypass, take the first exit, and turn right. Just after you cross over the bypass, take the first right, and keep going for about a mile. Then make another right on a tiny road, for 300m, and it's just there on your left-hand side.

According to an old issue of "U2 Magazine," the precursor to Propaganda, U2 was inspired to use the castle after a similar photo of it appeared on the cover of a book called In Ruins: The Once Great House of Ireland. The photos are strikingly similar!

The castle on the back sleeve of the album is yet another castle. This is called Carrickgogunnel, in County Tipperary. [GD, CB, M2, LP]

2. Where did U2 shoot all the photos for The Joshua Tree album?

The Joshua tree itself used to be located in the middle of the California desert just outside Death Valley National Park. But in October, 2000, fans discovered that the tree had fallen over. (see below) It appeared to be a natural fall, not the result of vandalism. The photo on the actual front album cover of The Joshua Tree was taken at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, California. Photos appearing in the various Joshua Tree tourbooks and other promotional pictures from this era were shot at The Harmony Motel, which is southern California's Joshua Tree National Park; at other random locations in the southern California desert in and around Death Valley; and at the historic ghost town of Bodie, California, on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains north of Mammoth Lakes, California. [M2]

3. Is it true that both the actual "Joshua tree" and the tree from "One Tree Hill" are dead?

Yes, and they probably both died within a couple weeks or months of each other. The Joshua tree was confirmed to have fallen over by fans in October, 2000, but was likely down for at least a few weeks before that. The same week the Joshua tree was discovered, government officials in New Zealand destroyed the lone pine tree at the One Tree Hill landmark after it had been deemed unsafe. The tree had been attacked twice with chainsaws during the 90s. One U2 fan has created a tribute of sorts to the fallen Joshua tree, which can be seen at: http://www.joshuatreenationalpark.net/u2tree.htm. [M2]

4. Where did U2 shoot the video for "Where the Streets Have No Name"?

At the corner of 7th and Main streets in downtown Los Angeles. The shoot took place atop the Republic Liquor Store, in the shadow of the real Million Dollar Hotel (which was to become the inspiration for the movie of the same name). The liquor store is now a Mexican restaurant. [M2]

5. Where does Bono live? Edge? Adam? Larry?

Each member of the band still lives in the Dublin area, where they grew up and first formed the band. It's not our place to give out specific addresses or directions to their homes, so you'll have to look elsewhere for that. Coincidentally, the homes of several members of the band have been discussed in some detail in the newspapers in recent years for various expansions and additions being sought and undertaken at their homes. The band members also have various residences in other parts of the world, too. Edge was in the press in late 2000 when he and Morleigh purchased a home in Malibu, Calif. Edge and Bono also have homes in Eze in the south of France, which is where the "Electrical Storm" video (and other video clips) have been shot. [M2]

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