U2 Donated $6.67 Million From 2009 Gigs to Irish Music Education

U2's longtime manager Paul McGuinness has revealed the group gave their entire profits from three massive gigs back in 2009 at Dublin's Croke Park to charity on their 360 World tour.

The Irish Times reports the group donated 5,000,000 Euros ($6.67 million U.S.) from the gigs in Dublin in July of that year to Music Generation which funds structured music education across Ireland. While McGuinness didn't reveal any other numbers, he did say it was U2's practice "going way, way back" to give the profits away, but it was done discreetly. The generous donation by U2 in 2009 came after the Irish government announced it couldn't afford the project across the country.

The revelation coincided with The Edge appearing at an announcement by the Irish government that they will co-fund Music Generation from 2014 onward with the goal to take over funding of the project two years later.

"In this case we really wanted to put our names to this because we feel strongly about it," the guitarist said, adding the project would be "enhanced" with their support and that music education should be "a top priority" around Ireland.

"We also had the encouragement to use the music rooms when we first formed the band," he added. "At that stage none of the members of the band had an idea where it would lead. We were just doing it because it was fun. The chance to pass that opportunity on is important."

In other news, McGuinness said the group are working on a new studio album with the hope "they will finish the album soon and it will be out this year." The album would be the follow-up to 2009's No Line on the Horizon.