U2 guitarist The Edge becomes Irish citizen

The four members of U2 are among the world's most famous Irishmen, but until this week only three of them were legally Irish.

Guitarist David Howell Evans, known as The Edge, was born in Essex in England to Welsh parents and as a result never held Irish citizenship even though he has lived in Ireland since he was one.

On Monday the 63-year-old had Irish citizenship conferred on him during a ceremony in Killarney in County Kerry.

Sporting an Irish tricolour flag clip on his lapel, the musician said it was a "a monumental day" for all involved.

He is among about 7,500 people who are making a declaration of fidelity and loyalty to the Irish state and becoming Irish citizens on Monday and Tuesday.

"I'm a little tardy with the paper work," he told Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

"I've been living in Ireland now since I was one, but the time is right.

"And I couldn't be more proud of my country for all that it represents and all that it is doing.

"It couldn't come at a better moment for me, so I am just so happy to be at this point to be in even deeper connection with my homeland."

Last month, it was revealed that U2 are back in the studio making new music, after a gap of eight years.

The four-piece had been on an extended break, as drummer Larry Mullen Jr recovered from neck surgery.

Evans was a founding member of the group, which was formed in Dublin in the 1970s.