U2 are back where they came from this week, playing four shows in Dublin at the 3Arena. The gigs have been sold out for weeks, and for sure Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam didn’t disappoint.

"We have spent the last nine months traveling the world trying to explain what the North Side of Dublin is like," Bono told the fans. "This is truly a family get together, as dysfunctional as we may be. This is a truly great feeling for us, to be home."

U2’s iconic hits were sprinkled throughout the show, which also featured many songs from their latest album Songs of Innocence and its heavily autobiographical theme.

“It's been reported [Bono] can no longer hold a chord on the guitar, but by Christ, he can still hold a crowd in the palm of his hand,” the critic for Breakingnews.ie wrote. His fellow reviewers agreed.

“There was humor and craic as well as rock…It was a joyous sort of homecoming,” the Irish Independent reported.

The shows mark U2’s first time playing at home since 2009 in Croke Park. It’s been 26 years since they played an indoor Irish arena which probably shouldn’t be too surprising since U2’s recent concert tours have been massive technological productions; the current Innocence + Experience tour had to be scaled down to fit the smaller proportions of the 3Arena which replaced the old Point Depot.

The Dublin gigs were supposed to be the last shows on U2’s 2015 calendar, but then the Paris terror attacks happened. U2 were due to play the city that weekend, and the shows were postponed. But now they’re back on for December 6 and 7.

"For one night, the killers took lives, took music, took peace of mind -- but they couldn't steal the spirit of that city. It's a spirit our band knows well and will try to serve when we return for the postponed shows ... We’re going to put on our best for Paris,” Bono said in a statement.