Irish Mint to Issue Coins Featuring U2 and Maeve Binchy

The rock band U2 and the late author Maeve Binchy will be featured on a new series of commemorative coins in Ireland, according to The Journal.

The report, published on Monday, 7 September 2026, states that the coins are being launched to honour both cultural figures. The Journal notes that the designs will mark the contributions of the Dublin-born band and the writer, who was known for novels such as Circle of Friends and Tara Road.

Multiple Irish outlets, including RTÉ, the Irish Independent, and The Irish Times, have also covered the announcement, confirming that the coins are collector items. The Journal describes them as "commemorative coins," while RTÉ refers to them as part of a collector series. No specific release date, price, or design details have been disclosed in the available reporting.

The choice of U2 and Binchy reflects a broader pattern of Ireland honouring its internationally recognised artists on official currency. U2, formed in Dublin in the late 1970s, has sold hundreds of millions of records worldwide. Binchy, who died in 2012, was one of Ireland’s most successful fiction writers, with her work translated into dozens of languages.

The coins are expected to appeal to both collectors and fans of the two acts. The Journal’s report does not specify whether the coins will be legal tender or purely collectible, though commemorative issues by national mints typically hold face value.

What to watch next: further details from the Central Bank of Ireland on the coin designs, denominations, and how collectors can purchase them when the series is formally unveiled.