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Dublin GOAL Ball, Friday 11th May via satellite
"Happy Birthday GOAL and, well, Happy Birthday John.
"I have to declare straight away that John O’Shea is a great hero of mine – he’s a great hero of Ireland and to the millions of people that he has helped through all the amazing people in GOAL. It has become one of the benchmark NGOs, there’s no question about that, it’s rated as being the bravest, or amongst the bravest and the most efficient, and it’s why Band Aid is so proud to have funded so many of your great projects, and we do track them. I can tell you that of the thousands and thousands of projects over the hundreds of aid agencies that we’ve funded, GOAL is really somewhere near the top of the list. And for something that just sprang out of the mind of this mad man’s head, it genuinely is an extraordinary achievement that I’m not sure that Ireland really understands what this guy has done. I can certainly speak for Bono when I say that the two of us were hugely inspired by this mad lunatic who doesn’t hold his temper, or his tongue, who has never been diminished by detail or by the minutiae or by the difficulties of trying to help people. He’s never been confused by the political rhetoric or by the dilemmas that are thrown up. He’s very clear that the broken of the world should not be. And it is that ferocity that is exemplified by GOAL and by the people with it. It’s almost like an instrument of the man’s brain. And I know that they have to keep you in check John, and I know they want to shut you up a lot of the time, and I’m sure some of the wiser heads manage, but God bless you for not shutting up enough and for endlessly, endlessly, standing up for those who can’t do it for themselves.
"Great man. Great crowd of people. Great agency.
"Have a fantastic birthday – you deserved to get seriously well pissed tonight in the name of all the people that you’ve helped over the years.
"Well done and congratulations.
"I’m sorry I can’t be with you and I love you all."
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