Townsend Takes Bono to Task

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Irish Voice Entertainment

Townsend Takes Bono to Task

March 26, 2008

By Debbie McGoldrick

THE campaign to protect the historic Hill of Tara in Co. Meath from being bulldozed to make way for a new highway has certainly attracted its share of high-profile supporters, and one of them is, shall we say, slightly perturbed that U2 frontman and noted Africa activist Bono hasn’t made his presence felt on the issue.

Actor Stuart Townsend, holidaying in Paris last week with his Oscar-winning girlfriend – sorry, “wife,” as he likes to call her – Charlize Theron, expressed his wish that Bono would use his worldwide fame to further draw attention to the Hill of Tara cause.

“I don’t know why Bono hasn’t gotten involved so far. Maybe it’s because his focus is on Africa and heritage isn’t his thing,” Townsend is quoted as saying in Monday’s Irish Independent.

“Things are really getting desperate now so we really need Bono to say something. He’s Bono for God’s sake, he’s Irish and he lives in Ireland. We really need someone of that magnitude to help.”

Townsend’s remarks drew attention all right, but for the wrong reasons. The Irish media said that the Dublin native “blasted” Bono for his Tara inaction.

“Relations between two of Ireland’s most famous men are set to turn frosty after actor Stuart Townsend lashed out at U2 frontman Bono,” according to the Indo.

Not so at all, say Tara activists. Not wanting Stu vs. Bono headlines to monopolize the debate, the folks at Tara Watch issued a release on Tuesday saying all is peachy between the two stars, and that Bono in fact is a supporter of the campaign to save Tara.

“Firstly, Bono does in fact support efforts to save Tara. He said the (road) M3 is ‘a bad idea,’” said the release. Bono stated his support when approached by a Tara Watch member at an event for Al Gore in Dublin last year.

“Bono was happy to take a flyer, and clearly stated his opposition to the M3 project, on camera,” the release said.

Stuart, the release added, ain’t too pleased that his words were taken as a slap at Bono. He “totally disagrees” with the media coverage, and was “simply suggesting that, due to the recent re-commencement of works at the Rath Lugh national monument, now is a critical time for Irish celebrities, like Bono, to make some noise.”

A personal phone call might have worked better than taking Bono to task in his hometown media, but perhaps Stuart was busy enjoying the many delights in Paris to bother locating his number.

According to People magazine, Charlize and Stu shopped till they dropped in all the swank Parisian stores, including a stop at John Galliano “to pick out lingerie.”

“The following day, the couple enjoyed a romantic dinner at the Bois de Boulogne’s Pré Catelan restaurant. The couple also took time for a stroll in the Jardin des Plantes’ Natural History Museum followed by a private walk-in at the Da Vinci Code’s Eglise St. Sulpice,” the mag also reported. Given that schedule, it’s a wonder Stuart had time to think about Tara at all!

Bono still has friends in high places, though. Supermodel Elle Macpherson told the Sunday Independent she thinks he’s tops.

“I love ‘One’ by U2, with Mary J. Blige. I am a huge supporter of Bono and the (RED) campaign as I am the European ambassador. I think Bono is a genius — a poet and a thinker,” she said.

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