Larry Mullen Jr.

The Kitchen in Artane, 25 September 1976

The auditions took place on Saturday 25 September 1976 in his parents' kitchen in Artane, Dublin. The Irish Times later pieced together the order of arrival. David Evans, who would become The Edge, came first. Adam Clayton turned up later. Paul Hewson, later known as Bono, was the last through the door.

Hewson came to audition on guitar. Mullen suggested he try singing instead.

Bruce Springsteen and the 2005 Hall of Fame Induction

In 2005 the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted U2 in its Performer category, with Bruce Springsteen giving the induction speech. Mullen went in alongside Bono, The Edge and Clayton, the same four people who had met in Artane 29 years earlier.

Dyscalculia and Counting Bars

For a drummer, the most surprising thing Mullen has said in public is about numbers. In a Times Radio interview reported by the Irish Times on 13 December 2024, when he was 63, he described a learning difficulty he had only recently put a name to.

"I'm numerically challenged. And I realised recently that I have dyscalculia ... so I can't add, I can't count."

He explained what that means for a man whose job is keeping time: "I had to find ways of doing this, and counting bars is like climbing Everest."

Neck Surgery and the Las Vegas Sphere

When U2 played its 2023-24 residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Mullen was not on the drum stool. He withdrew to recover from neck surgery linked to injuries from years of drumming. It was the band, not Mullen, who explained the absence in public.

In October 2024 NME carried their update. Clayton said: "He wants to come back, he wants to be able to have a long career". The Edge said: "Larry is getting better every week".

In the same December 2024 interview about his dyscalculia, Mullen said he was "excited to get back in some capacity." He said the band were writing new material and that he hoped they would tour at some point in 2026.

Mexico City, 23 February 2027

On 22 October 2026, Music Times, citing NME, reported that Mullen is returning to full-scale shows after neck and back surgery. The U2 tour he is due to play opens on 23 February 2027 in Mexico City, as part of the band's 50th-anniversary celebrations, half a century after the meeting in his parents' kitchen.

The Sunday Times Rich List, 2022

No figure for Mullen's own wealth has been published by a reputable outlet. The closest estimate covers the whole band. The Sunday Times Rich List music table for 2022, as reported by the Irish News on 23 May 2022, put the combined fortune of U2's four members at GBP 625 million, second only to Paul McCartney at GBP 865 million. The list gave no split between the members, so this article does not quote a figure for Mullen alone.

Ann Acheson and Their Three Children

Mullen's longtime partner is Ann Acheson, whose name the Irish Times has spelled Anne Acheson. None of the sources consulted for this article describe the couple as married. They have three children. In 2004 the Irish Times reported that they had three young children; in January 2025 Today.com noted that all three are now adults. None of them is a public figure, and this article does not name them.

Sources

• U2 hit 40: The 'drummer seeks musicians' note that started it all
• Larry Mullen Jr.: U2 Drummer Biography, Career & Facts • Zoo Station Radio
• U2 | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
• U2’s Larry Mullen on his dyscalculia and the band’s touring plan - The Irish Times
• U2 share health update on drummer Larry Mullen Jr
• U2 Returns to Stadiums for 2027 Latin American Dates, Skipping Chile for the First Time
• Rich List: U2 combined wealth £625m
• Partner of Larry Mullen praises nanny
• Kelly Clarkson and Larry Mullen Jr. Discuss Having a Child With Dyslexia