RELATIVE VALUES

My cousin’s in U2 but he has another side to HIm U2 guitarist, the Edge, 52, and his cousin, Ciara, 34, who works for Mencap and has a learning disability, talk about family gatherings in Dublin, glitzy parties and why they have such a strong bond

Ciara: I have a learning watching all these celebrities — namedropping competitions, but he disability, I call it my label. I was Naomi Campbell, Dennis Hopper, always wins. I’ll say, I met the very badly bullied to begin with and, Michael Hutchence — and I was Cheeky Girls and he’ll say he was for a long time, I didn’t feel safe like: “I’m partying with these playing golf with Bill Clinton. around people. I’d often just go up people, how amazing am I?” I do know, though, that when all to my room, shut the door and turn My dad said, “Ciara, behave,” but the family are together, he’s happy. my stereo on. Music was my escape. Edge laughed. He loved it. One occasion was at his mum and I loved music. That’s the reason Then when I went to a special- dad’s golden-wedding anniversary. why Edge and I became so close. needs boarding school, we’d phone He held a party for them at the I was still only a toddler at his each other and chat. I used to get château he owns with Bono. It was first wedding, so my earliest homesick and he was always very a really wonderful day. memory of him is just after The supportive, very sweet, very caring. Sadly, his mother died last year. Joshua Tree came out. I was about He’d listen... he understood me. She was my Auntie Gwenda. We all five and he gave me a T-shirt, which During this time, he also became went to Dublin for the funeral. After I’ve still got. It a dad and as my grandparents died, Auntie said: “To my Cuz, I got a bit older Gwenda and Uncle Garvin had Love Edge.” he’d take me and become like grandparents to me. I His dad is my his daughters was very close to Gwenda. She was Uncle Garvin and to the cinema like the glue in our family. And he my dad’s only during the absolutely adored her... we all did. brother. They holidays. I see a lot less of Edge right grew up in When I was now because he spends a lot the edge: As a young teen, Llanelli, South old enough to of time in LA. He also has two Ciara was deeply affected by what Wales, in a see U2 perform, children with his second wife, people thought about her. I was hardworking he’d take me Moreleigh. I’m still close with always concerned that, because she family. They were backstage after Aislinn [the Edge’s first wife], was so trusting and outgoing, she was very close, they the show and and I see their three daughters. wide open to the cruelty of others. still are. When my introduce me to I have been working at Before Ciara went to a special- brother, Hugh, my idols. During Mencap now for ?? years. needs school, she went to a regular and I were growing up, our family the Achtung Baby tour he I remember the day I asked Edge if school and it was only recently that used to go to Dublin for our holidays introduced me to Jason Donovan — he’d be an ambassador for the she told me about the terrible to see them. I was a huge fan of his. He’d always charity. I was at his brother’s house bullying she suffered there. Edge was getting quite famous say: “This is my cousin, she’s here having Sunday lunch and I was It makes me so angry knowing how by then, so when I’d see him on TV, with me and she’d like to say hello nervous about it. But as soon as I much pain she went through. I’d get so excited. I couldn’t believe to you.” asked him, he said yes straightaway. Ciara was like a puppy when she that this man playing guitar on Top Although Edge takes his famous He didn’t even think about it. was younger. Her enthusiasm and of the Pops was my cousin. friends in his stride, I kept going up I knew he’d be a great energy were amazing. When I’d see When I was about seven, I went to him saying, “I’ve just met this ambassador for us, and it’s just one her, there would be so many questions to the premier of U2’s movie Rattle person!” and he’d say, “Brilliant”, more reason why I’m so proud of about U2 and what we were up to and Hum. I remember sitting at the and encourage me. And now when him. He has been such a big part of that her parents would try to calm Empire Leicester Square in London, I see him, we still have these my life. And he always will be. her down. But there was no need.

7210 beautiful day Left: Cara and the Edge in Dublin. ‘She has barrelled through a lot of nasty stuff by sheer strength of her personality,’ the guitarist says of his niece. Inset: a young Cara enjoys a private concert from the U2 star

thing, and can make society richer. It’s a litmus test for humanity. Ciara got married to Mark earlier this year. She had the full-on meringue — she wasn’t gonna be short-changed on any front. The vows are a profound moment, but even more so with Ciara and Mark, given her learning disability. It was poignant... there were tears. I used to be quite protective of Ciara, making sure she got looked after, and was understood. To an extent, I’d gently guide her back to earth if she got over-excited. But at a certain point, I realised I didn’t have to do that any more. It was a great realisation. In my role as a Mencap ambassador, Ciara invited me to No 10 recently. We got a photo, of ‘When I see Edge, we have namedropping competitions, course, outside the famous door; it was such a moment to savour. but he always wins. I’ll say I’ve met the Cheeky My little cousin Ciara taking me to Girls and he’ll say he played golf with Bill Clinton’ No 10 as part of her work. The concept of “normal” is such a dangerous idea because we can I can’t remember the first U2 show value of what Mencap do as a through a lot of nasty stuff by sheer all, in small ways and big ways, she came to; she was about 12 and learning-disability charity, just look strength of personality — I wouldn’t become persuaded that we are into Boyzone. It was a thrill for me as at what’s happened with Ciara, and have been able to do it. In fact, one abnormal. To embrace your own the older cousin to make things how she has developed since of the things I’ve learnt about her is failings and know that they’re just happen for her, so, by her teens I’d working with them. They utilised the how courageous she is. I know, at as important as your strengths takes always take her backstage with me. things she always had and now she’s times, she’s challenged but, as an a certain wisdom and perspective. Once she came to the Brit Awards, much more confident, much more advocate for other people like her, To be a person who can shrug off and, knowing she loved Kylie, who able. And that’s about her being in a she has the balls to walk up to a the crass judgements of the world was performing, I went: “Come on, place where she and her skillset are politician and tell them how it is. can be difficult. I’m really proud girl, let’s meet her.” So we did and valued. The effect has been profound. My older daughters hang with that Ciara has made that jump n off she went chatting to her. In the She’s really a great communicator. her; they went to her hen night and The Edge is an ambassador for end, I said: “Ciara, I think we may She’s amazing at connecting with she’s a dancing-on-tables-type of Mencap. Visit: mencap.org.uk have to go now.” Kylie loved her. people in an unselfconscious and girl. They have a good sense of how Interviews by Kate Spicer If anyone is uncertain about the direct way. She has barrelled being different can be a positive PHOTOGRAPH: Eve North

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