In order to make the claim that U2 has thoroughly suppressed its Irish cultural identity, one must first analyze the most accepted understanding of the modern Irish identity in all of its complexity. The first thing to consider in this discussion of Irish identity or Irish nationalism is that the socio-political situation in Ireland is a very unique one, different from that of all other post-colonial countries. The main reason for the current nationalism crisis began in 1921 when the British government granted home rule to all but six counties in the north-eastern region of the country and officially split the island into two violently-opposed parts. The twenty-six free counties, now the Irish Republic, contained a large Catholic majority while the six northern counties, know as Northern Ireland, contained a majority of Protestants who wished to remain loyal Britain as part of the United Kingdom. This geopolitical division has made the Irish people’s search for a modern national identity particularly difficult, and the controversial debate over Irish nationalism has led to war and bloodshed up until the end of the twentieth century.