Last Update: 04/05/2026 at 2:50 PM EST
Dylan Reconnects With Irish Roots
Coverage from Hot Press, Untold Dylan, and others
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Executive Summary
Dylan's Slane and Belfast moments show him revisiting Irish folk roots and honoring Van Morrison through live covers and shared memories
- Dylan spoke backstage with Bono and Van Morrison at Slane Castle in 1984
- The interview focused on recording technology, studio culture, and older methods
- Dylan said Irish music and the Clancy Brothers shaped him deeply
- He singled out Liam Clancy as his favorite ballad singer
- The Slane show included Bono, Van Morrison, and Carlos Santana joining Dylan on Blowin In The Wind
- At Belfast's Waterfront Hall, Dylan closed a set with Van Morrison's Going Down to Bangor
- Dylan has also covered other Morrison songs including Into the Mystic and Real Real Gone
Quick Facts
- What: Backstage talk and live tributes to Irish and roots music
- Where: Slane Castle and Belfast Waterfront Hall in Ireland
- Why: To revisit musical roots and honor fellow songwriters
- Who: Bob Dylan, Bono, Van Morrison, Carlos Santana
- When: In 1984 and again on November 20
Coverage Timeline: 5494 Days
Featured Article
During a 1980s European tour stop at Slane Castle in Ireland, Bob Dylan participated in a backstage Hot Press interview with Bono.
Additional Articles
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Geoffrey Morrow reports Dylan's May 6, 1966 Belfast performance at the ABC Ritz Cinema in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
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In August 1984, Bob Dylan headlined a three-hour Infidels tour concert at Slane Castle, County Meath, amid serious rioting in nearby Slane village.
Dylan spoke with Bono backstage at Slane Festival in Ireland in 1984.
Bob Dylan performed at Belfast's Waterfront Hall on November 20, closing an eighteen-song set with a Van Morrison cover Going Down to Bangor.
On 1984-07-08, Bob Dylan performed at Slane Castle, Ireland, before about 40,000 fans, with Bono joining him for a duet.
Bob Dylan closes his 1984 European tour with a Slane Castle concert in Ireland on July 8, featuring Van Morrison, Bono, and Carlos Santana.
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On Nov 20, Dylan performed Van Morrison's Going Down to Bangor at Belfast's Waterfront Hall during the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour.
Bob Dylan performed at Slane Castle in Dublin on Jul 08, 1984, with Santana, Bono, and Van Morrison, broadcast by MTV.
Bono discusses Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone and its influence in Far Out Magazine.
Bob Dylan performed at Slane Castle on Jul 8, 1984 in Slane, Co Meath, Ireland, after a riot the night before that drew Garda reinforcements.
Bob Dylan performs at Slane Castle Dublin during July 1984, MTV films the show featuring Bono, Santana, and Van Morrison.