Believe the hype. Choose joy. The questions were asked of U2, and they were answered in pretty spectacular fashion at Croke Park last night. Magnificent, if you will.

“I surrender” Bono told the masses as he walked along the outer circle of the famous stage, arms outstretched, wallowing in the adulation. But, in fact, he had already won us over.

This band has been under pressure in recent times. Granted, it is the kind of pressure many of us tipping the couch to help pay the mortgage would probably revel in, but the self-styled ‘biggest band on the planet' have been struggling, relatively-speaking.

They are hardly flavour of the month in Ireland, partly because of their tax affairs, partly because of an inbred suspicion of success, and partly because, like everything else, they were better in the old days. It meant that they didn't sell out 240,000 tickets for Croke Park in an instant.

There are suggestions of in-fighting. The latest album was coolly received both here and abroad. Over the hill, some argued.

The latest tour has had mixed reviews, with one of the shows in Amsterdam earlier this week getting panned by critics and fans alike.

Never mind getting on their boots, perhaps it was time for this lot to hang theirs up? And so U2 were left in the slightly-surreal situation of having to prove themselves again... and to their own.

They delivered in spades, making us feel stupid for ever having doubted them — at least when it comes to performing.

“I haven't even bought the new album so any of the first few songs I'd only know from hearing on the radio,” fan Cormac Slattery said. “But I was immediately caught up in it. It is pure theatre, and every time U2 want to put on a show they put on a show. When ‘the Claw' came into life during Magnificent I was already fully on board.”

He wasn't the only one, and that was just three songs into the blistering set. Mr Slattery was on the right side of 50 — “but only just” — and there was no shortage of people around who had packed the kids off to the Oxegen mud two weeks ago.

There was also no shortage of people from sunnier climes, many of them squeezed into the ‘pit' from early evening.

For them the loo was not an option. Others left it much later, grabbing a sneaky last pint before piling into the ground, many arriving after Bono, the Edge, Larry and Adam had taken to the stage shortly before 9pm.

They immediately launched into Breathe from No Line On The Horizon, followed by the title track from the same record. It was only then that this famous stage really came to life.

“Hill 16 right behind you,” as Bono sang during Beautiful Day. Pity it was empty.

And it would take the first chords of Desire, and the sun starting to set, for those in the seats to start truly bouncing, rolling back the years while looking at the future.

Stadium rock, indeed, with all the pomp and ceremony you could hope for but which we take a little for granted with these guys.

Love them or loathe them, you can't ignore them. Well, you certainly couldn't last night, even if you were dragged to Croke Park by the ear. In truth, many of the natives in the 80,000 crowd manage to love and loathe U2, depending on the circumstances.

“Perhaps it's because you guys have to listen to Bono telling you what to do more often than we do,” Laura Pfeifer from New York said. “I think you want him to shut up some of the time.”

However, he kept the preaching to a minimum last night. He could probably feel the love because of it. But, paradoxically, we wouldn't like it if Bono ignored the activism completely. Thousands donned a face mask — inserted in the concert programme — of Burmese freedom fighter Aung San Suu Kyi. Walk On was dedicated to her, as it is on every night of the 360 Tour, and it was a quiet highlight.

Another positive was the sobriety of the crowd — although it's possible some of them didn't feel the same way.

Last night, however, was one that those there will like to be able to remember. Bono spoke during the week about the “joy” that's inherent in U2's music. Last night was a joy to behold.

SET LIST

Breathe

No Line on the Horizon

Get on Your Boots

Magnificent

Beautiful Day

Elevation

Desire

Stuck in a Moment

One

Until the End of the World

Unforgettable Fire

City of Blinding Lights

Vertigo

I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Pride

MLK

Walk On

Where the Streets Have No Name

Bad

Ultraviolet

With or Without You

Moment of Surrender