No line on the Horizon; Where are our Irish stars?

Last week U2 visited New York, to launch their 12th studio album “No Line on the Horizon”, in the USA. In recognition of this visit part of New York’s 53rd street has been temporarily renamed “U2 Way”. In a special ceremony, held March 3rd, the band alongside New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, unveiled the “U2 Way” street sign where it was also announced that band members; Bono, Larry Mullen, Adam Clayton and The Edge had become honorary New-Yorkers. Mayor Bloomberg added, at the event; “No wonder everyone in the city including me considers these four Dubliners honorary New Yorkers”. The renaming of the street also coincides with U2’s week long stint on “The Late Show with David Letterman” in which the four Dubliners became the first band to perform on five consecutive nights.

"What a thrill for four Irish boys from the northside of Dublin"

U2 had a similar honour earlier in the year when they performed, alongside such prestigious acts as Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor, at the inauguration of Barack Obama as US President. Speaking before the event Bono commented; “What a thrill for four Irish boys from the northside of Dublin to honour you sir, Barack Obama, to be the next president of the United States.” Indeed, it would seem that their current status is a million miles away from their Irish roots. As Shane Hegarty, of The Irish Times, points out Bono has “a fascination with America that displays itself as a cloying neediness”. One must wonder which country U2 considers its home: Ireland or the bright lights of the USA?
Then again, if we look at Irish celebrities, how many can say they still reside in Ireland? Emigration amongst our celebrities is at the same level of the jobless masses in the mid-1980s. Colin Farrell, for example, lives in Los Angeles. Cillian Murphy lives in London. Liam Neeson in New York. The same is the case for Irish comedians; Dara O’Briain and Ed Byrne live in London, and Dylan Moran in Edinburgh. What is so unattractive about the emerald isle to these Irish stars?

"My Irishness is in everything I do. It's the spirit of who I am, as a man, an actor, a father. It's where I come from."

Surely all these stars do not detest Ireland? Pierce Brosnan, who became an American citizen in 2004, has expressed the importance of his Irish heritage; “my Irishness is in everything I do. It's the spirit of who I am, as a man, an actor, a father. It's where I come from”. The more likely answer is that these Irish stars simply follow where they can get work. This shows, if anything, the dire state of the Irish arts.
Irish films, for example, are generally low-budget and, with a few exceptions; notably “In Bruges” and “The Commitments”, have failed to receive international success. The situation with Irish music is not much better, with many Irish bands needing to emigrate to the US or England to receive recognition for their work, such is the case with Irish pop-trio The Script. Some of the recent home-grown Irish talent; like The Blizzards and Fight like Apes, have failed to broaden their horizons beyond an Irish market. The Irish music and film industry seems to have a great reliance on US and English markets. With this reliance is it any wonder that Ireland is losing its brightest and best to country’s that can support their careers? This brain drain will have to cease if Irish arts are to have any standing on an international basis.