U2 Donate £5m To Irish Music Education
Band help out cash strapped country with big donation
Bloomberg reports that U2 will help provide funding for Irish music education as the country's government struggles to make 6 billion Euros of cuts to meet the terms of its bailout.
The band will reportedly donate 5 million euros until 2015 on a phased basis for the music program, together with an additional 2 million-euro commitment from the Ireland Funds, which is supported by people of Irish ancestry across the world. The aim is for the government to later take over that funding.
"While we have a very rich musical culture and heritage, access to music tuition is like a geographic lottery, it depends on where you live and it depends if your parents can afford it," said Rosaleen Molloy, director of Music Generation, which is funded by U2 and international charitable network The Ireland Funds. "There is an assumption that music is being provided for in mainstream schools, while in the reality it is not."
"U2 had been looking for some time for a way to invest and support access to music education in Ireland," said Molloy. "U2 wanted to give something back."
The funding will be used to provide music tuition to 16,000 children through classes after regular school hours.