Bono’s family welcome half brother with ‘open arms’
BONO may be the one with the millions but the U2 star has a secret halfbrother who is the real financial brain in the family.
Scott Rankin has revealed he was ‘welcomed with open arms’ into the star’s family.
The U2 frontman’s new memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, reveals that the person who he always thought was his cousin is actually his half-brother. Bono’s father Bob Hewson had an affair with his wife’s sister-in-law, Bono’s aunt Barbara Rankin.
Mr Rankin, aged in his early 50s, is a banking expert in Department of Finance. He and Bono felt a strong connection ‘long before we knew we were brothers’, the singer said.
‘I am blessed to have been welcomed with open arms into the Hewson family,’ Mr Rankin said. ‘Not all such stories turn out the way mine has and I was fortunate to discover that I had two fathers take an active part in my upbringing.’
He continued: ‘Our extended family have known for some time and we agreed that it made no sense to keep this hidden any longer. Bono’s book also happens to be an appropriate and sensitive way for us to
‘It made no sense to keep it hidden’
acknowledge the connection.
‘We have only love for our parents and we’re grateful to have our families’ support in sharing this story.’
Mr Rankin is one of the country’s most senior civil servants, working in Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe’s department. And although he and Bono are half-brothers, the boys were raised as first cousins living in separate households on opposite sides of Dublin.
Bono’s mother Iris died in 1974 when the musician was 14, and never knew about the infidelity.
Iris’s brother Jack, who died in 2020, was married to Barbara, who is still living in Dublin. Bob Hewson died in 2001.
Bono, 62, spoke of his affection for Mr Rankin, a father-of-three, and said he had suspected they were more than cousins.
He said: ‘The truth is with Scott we felt like brothers long before we knew we were. I love Scott and his mother Barbara. I must have known that something was up and I must have held my father responsible for kind of making my mother unhappy in the way kids pick up things.’
Their family welcomed the revelation with relief.
Bono’s first cousin Trevor Stunt, whose late mother Ruth was another sister of the rock star’s mother Iris, said: ‘I don’t know whether the other cousins knew but I certainly have known for some time. I have spoken to Scott and basically his own brothers – it is private as well. It’s all sensationalised because of who the author is. I don’t think anyone gives a damn one way or the other.’ The U2 frontman’s aunt Olive Bryan, Iris’s sister, told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘Well, I really don’t want to talk about it. He [Bono] has put it all out there so there’s no need for me to keep it to myself any more.’ Mr Rankin is deputy head of
‘We have only love for our parents’
the shareholding and financial advisory division at the Department of Finance. He was seconded from the National Treasury Management Agency to work there.
According to colleagues, the well-regarded banking analyst who once worked at leading stockbroking firm Davy, lives a quiet life, in contrast to Bono.