U2 rockers Bono and THE EDGE have won the rights to renovate their hotel - despite objections from locals.

The musicians had proposed a $238 million (GBP119 million) overhaul of their shared establishment, The Clarence Hotel in Dublin - but were met by staunch opposition from heritage campaigners.

But now the Irish planning authority, the An Bord Pleanala, has approved their plans after a long period of review - despite a planning inspector recommending a rejection of the proposal.

The U2 stars say, "We are delighted that An Bord Pleanala has given us the green light for Norman Foster's design for The Clarence. We believe it's great news for Dublin and for Temple Bar in particular, where we've been working for over 20 years and where a hotel has been trading on The Clarence site for 177 years."

The duo took over the hotel in the 1990s and extensively refurbished it into a five-star boutique hotel with 48 rooms and suites.