BOB GELDOF presented the archive of the Band Aid Trust to the National Library of Ireland today.
The former Boomtown Rats lead singer said he wanted the Band Aid archive to come to Dublin, among other reasons, because Ireland had been magnificent during Live Aid and it was its natural home.
The archive includes letters, photographs, and charity records from the 1984 fundraiser, and the Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht has donated €245,000 to facilitate digitisation of the material.
Dr Sandra Collins, Director of the National Library, said the archive will be of great interest nationally and internationally and the project will culminate in an exhibition of the material at the NLI.
Geldof also spoke at the event about the Freedom of the City award that was taken away from him in previous weeks.
Mr Geldof publicly handed back his freeman of Dublin award last month in protest at Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi continuing to have the same honour.
He said it had been a wrench to give back the Freedom of the City, but said his feeling was that having Ms Suu Kyi on the roll besmirched the roll of honour.
Mr Geldof said that he had originally said in a statement that if she was removed from the roll of honour that he would like the freedom back, however if that does not happen then "so be it".
He said he objected to people saying he was "furious" and "disgusted", as he was not.
After he handed back the award, city council voted to remove his name from the roll.
