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Windmill Lane - where U2 recorded their early albums - has been demolished

Residential, office and retail units will now be developed at the site.

Updated at 4pm

WINDMILL LANE HAS been demolished. However, some parts of the graffiti walls have been saved.

The Windmill Lane studios are iconic thanks to a host of musicians who recorded there going back to the 1970s.

Van Morrisson, The Rolling Stones and Sinead O’Connor are among the famous acts but the studios were best known for recordings carried out by U2, especially the Joshua Tree album.

The site was bought by Hibernia REIT in May of last year and it now plans to develop residential, office and retail units.

The demolition started in late February and has been ongoing since then.

The CEO of WK Nowlan REIT Management, Kevin Nowlan, said the developers are aware of the site’s history and plan to “take that into account”.

Over the years fans have visited the site and used graffiti to pay tribute to the bands. It’s understood that part of the graffiti walls will be kept in storage until it is decided where they should be put.

00010399 Part of the wall of graffiti dedicated to U2 outside Windmill Lane. Eamonn Farrell Eamonn Farrell

Hibernia REIT says it is considering the following options:

  • Recreating the wall in the atrium of the new Windmill Lane building as a testimony to the building’s past
  • Offering the wall to Dublin City Council, the band or any other interested party for reconstruction or reuse in an alternative setting
  • Giving the wall to a charity so that they can auction pieces of it to U2 fans around the world

00010400 Italian backpackers add their messages to the wall of graffiti dedicated to U2 in 1996. Eamonn Farrell Eamonn Farrell

The studio itself was not destroyed over the weekend as it was moved to Ringsend some time ago.

90327669 Ireland's most famous studio, Windmill Lane Studios in Ringsend Dublin. Laura Hutton Laura Hutton

Many people have been expressing their sadness and shock online:

Read: €17.75 million for Dublin docklands site adjoining old U2 studio>

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25 Comments
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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Apr 20th 2018, 7:43 AM

    Washington street is one of the main thoroughfares through the city and its a bit run down in places. It’d be great to see an injection of life into it

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    Mute prop joe
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    Apr 20th 2018, 11:19 AM

    @Tweety McTweeter: they did a nice job on the old factory on the coal quay where tk Mac is. Surely that can be replicated.

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    Mute Vote Tá For All Mná
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    Apr 20th 2018, 8:30 AM

    Huge shortage of accommodation in Cork and he’s complaining his students won’t have a nice view……

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    Mute Finbarr Dowling
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    Apr 20th 2018, 7:01 AM

    Fabric my h0le. That building is disgusting

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    Mute The Dons
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    Apr 20th 2018, 9:10 AM

    I agree with Hurley on many of those points but in fairness she’s OTT too. I mean its only a portion of the entire street not a whole section of the city no matter what the history and admits the planners were admirable in their plans anyway. Its seems hard to get anything done these days when its badly needed. The ongoing saga of the old Beamish brewery is a complete farce at this stage too.

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    Mute Hatchjaw
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    Apr 20th 2018, 9:38 AM

    You can see a pic of the proposed development below. We like bland boring architecture in this country.
    http://www.irishexaminer.com/property/planning-notes-go-ahead-for-further-student-digs-468578.html

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    Mute The Dons
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    Apr 20th 2018, 10:34 AM

    @Hatchjaw: A Peugeot 206??… Interesting plan!

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    Mute Niall Brew
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    Apr 20th 2018, 11:23 AM

    @Hatchjaw: its bland because people object to anything different

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    Mute Dr Richard DeWitt
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    Apr 20th 2018, 11:40 AM

    Generally student ghettos tend to be the worst kind of housing ghettos when it comes to antisocial behaviour, noise, late night partying, abandoning cars everywhere, putting furniture on the streets, not taking care of rubbish, et cetera. And that’s before we even think about so-called RAG week. Until we educate our youth about community living and values, who could blame anyone not wanting them anywhere near them? Parents really need to take more responsibility.

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    Mute Vote Tá For All Mná
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    Apr 20th 2018, 11:58 AM

    @Dr Richard DeWitt: what college are you hanging out near?! Went to college in Cork ten years ago, still live near UCC and I’ve never seen anything like that. There’s parties occasionally but they’re all gone out around 11. Rag week is a little messy but there’s no badness in it. You sound like a grumpy old fart. Maybe you should partake in rag week and enjoy yourself

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    Mute Dr Richard DeWitt
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    Apr 20th 2018, 4:01 PM

    @Vote Tá For All Mná: And…another oxygen thief graces cyberspace.

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    Mute Vote Tá For All Mná
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    Apr 20th 2018, 4:44 PM

    @Dr Richard DeWitt: pr!ck. Have a lovely day.

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