Dublin Boys top of Pops!

Evening Press (Limerick) (1978-03-20)

Four Dublin schoolboys carried off the top prize at the Limerick Civic Week Pop ’78 Competition on Saturday night.

Sponsored by the Evening Press and Harp Lager Guinness, the competition was to find the most talented and entertaining pop group or showband.

The Dublin boys, who attend Mount Temple Comprehensive, and are known as U2 Malahide, headed 36 groups from all over the country and won for themselves £500, plus a trophy.

In second place was Rockster, also from Dublin, and the Limerick group, Village, were third.

The only all-girl group in the contest, Harmony, from Tallaght, Co. Dublin, who go an enthusiastic reception, were unplaced.

The other finalists were East Soast Angels, Dublin, Graffiti, Condalkin Co. Dublin, Dragster, Charleville, Co. Cork, and Doves, Athenry, Co. Galway.

The adjudicators were Billy Wall, head of Light Entertainment, RTE, Jackie Hayden, CBS Records, who will select one of the groups for a recording test and Paul O’Brien, President, Junior Chamber, Limerick. The jockey, Mike “Rave” McNamera.

The Mayor of Limerick, Cllr. Frank Prendergast, presented the trophy to the winners and the cheque for £500 was presented by Mr. Colm Clarke, Limerick area representative for Guinness.

Mr. Harry Roycroft, also of Guinness, presented the trophy for the runners-up, and Mr. Alan Maxwell, Sales Promotion Executive in Irish Press Ltd., presented the trophy to the third placed group. Co-ordinator of the event was Mr. Eamon Walkin, of Limerick Junior Chamber.

The Mayor, Cllr. Prendergast, said it was the ambition of the Civic Week Committee to cater for as many different tastes as possible throughout the week in the city and all competitions were very successful.

He thanked the Evening Press and Guinness for their sponsorship and C.B.S. Records who “definitely had some groups in mind for recording.”

Mr. Colm Clarke, of Guinness, and Mr. Alan Maxwell for the Evening Press replied. Mr. Maxwell said Civic Week was a tremendous effort.

Mr. Jackie Hayden, from C.B.S., a spokesman for the jury, said the standard was a credit to the musicianship.

“U2 Malahide,” the winning group was made up of 16-year-old Larry Mullen, of Rosemount Ave., Artane, an Intermediate Cert. student at Mount Temple; Dave Evans (16), of St. Margaret’s Park, Malahide, who is doing his Leaving Cert.; Adam Clayton (17), of Ard na Mara, Malahide, a Leaving Cert. student, and Paul Hewson (17) of Cedarwood Rd., Ballymun, who is also doing his Leaving Cert.

The group are just a year together and progressed from country music to “doing our own stuff.” Paul Hewson said: “This means we can solve our money problems in a big way, particularly with regard to equipment. Now we hope to be able to buy a van.”

The boys had to promote themselves. “No one in Dublin was interested in us and we came down here as a last resort,” said Adam Clayton, group leader.

All the boys had praise for their school, which encouraged them, and gave them facilities to practice. In particular, they appreciated the help of Mr. Donald Moxham, History Teacher, and Mr. Albert Bradshaw, Music Teacher, at the school.

They appeared on R.T.E. three weeks ago and they came to Limerick with the financial help of their parents—the trip cost them £60—and the support of their fans who travelled with the group to see them triumph.

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