Celebrities join forces for yes to Lisbon

IRELAND soccer captain Robbie Keane and U2’s The Edge are among the high-profile celebrity names who will be campaigning for a yes vote in the Lisbon treaty referendum, the date of which is expected to be formally decided tomorrow.

Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney and author Deirdre Purcell are also involved in the new campaign group, Ireland for Europe, which insists it will not allow politicians to mess up the yes campaign.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday refused to put his neck on the line by committing to stepping down if the referendum, expected on October 2, is not passed. “My name isn’t on the ballot paper,” he said in an interview with RTÉ radio.