Located just a few meters from Plaza del Torico, at 2 Ainsas Street, the establishment has its roots in a passion that extended far beyond U2. "Flanagan began with an interest in Irish music," Labrador recalls. At the time, the family already had experience in the hospitality industry, having run an English pub, but the opportunity to move into a 16th-century building with two floors and around 300 square meters opened up new possibilities. "We decided to embark on the adventure and create an Irish pub of this size, which is very large," he explains. Over time, the project has become what its owners describe as the world’s largest U2-themed pub.
Its fame has spread beyond Aragon and made Flanagan’s much more than a place to have a drink and listen to music. "We have people coming from all over Spain to see Flanagans, even from abroad, because we are a worldwide reference when it comes to U2," its owner says. This popularity has turned the pub into another tourist attraction in Teruel, where visitors can discover both the heritage of the Lovers of Teruel and the Mudéjar towers, as well as this unique corner devoted to rock.
A COLLECTION OF 3,000 U2 ITEMS
Flanagan’s transformation into a temple dedicated to U2 did not happen when it opened, but during renovations carried out between 2011 and 2012. It was then that Labrador decided to share with customers a passion he had previously kept at home. "I began putting out a private collection of the band U2 that I had at home. People liked it, and we started adding things," he recalls. Since then, the walls have gradually filled with memorabilia, bringing together around 3,000 items related to the Irish band, many of them difficult to find.
Miguel Labrador is the creator of Flanagan's Temple U2. Photo: Diego Sanz
Among the most exclusive pieces are records from limited editions with very few copies, B-sides and live concert CDs of which only 50 or 100 copies were produced. However, one of the collection’s treasures is a record recorded in London in 1986 with an original handmade cover. These treasures are joined by press passes, VIP concert credentials, tickets, posters, guitars, picks, original photographs and photographs signed by the band, cassettes, books, Funko Pop figures, key rings and pins. Building such a collection has not been easy. "At first it was complicated; you had to travel to find something, and then when the internet appeared, well, everything became much easier when it came to getting things," Labrador explains. Among so many objects, only one photograph and one record are duplicates, a curiosity the owner turned into a small challenge for visitors: finding them among the thousands of items on display.
But the establishment’s story is understood not only through the objects decorating its walls, but also through the people who gather among them. The pub, which has a concert stage and capacity for around 200 people, organizes U2 fan gatherings that attract enthusiasts from across Spain to share experiences and enjoy live performances, such as those by the Italian tribute band Underskin. This 2026 is especially significant because, as Labrador points out, "this year everything comes together: 50 years of U2, 30 years of Flanagans and 10 years of holding this fan gathering." The connection with Ireland is also present through Guinness. "We became the fifth official Guinness pub in Spain, and we still are," he recalls. And although U2 is the main focus, the venue also plays international and Spanish rock and pop, but never reggaeton.
Flanagan's walls are a true living museum of U2. Photo: Diego Sanz
Flanagan’s continued existence also has much to do with the efforts of a family that has devoted a large part of its life to the establishment. Miguel Ángel combined running the business with his job as a firefighter for the Provincial Council of Teruel, where he worked for 35 years. Now retired, his role has changed. "At the bar, I’m behind the scenes organizing things and preparing events, but my son Óscar is in charge and out front with the public. He has taken over and likes it a lot," he explains. Together with his wife, who also owns the business, Labrador has ensured that the project continues into a new generation.
EIGHT APARTMENTS INSPIRED BY U2
The passion for U2 has also gone beyond the pub’s doors and entered the tourism sector. In the center of Teruel, next to the Mudéjar Tower of El Salvador, are Apartamentos One, eight accommodations inspired by the Irish band that opened their doors in 2020. Located in a 19th-century building, these apartments allow visitors to extend the musical experience beyond Flanagan’s and discover the city from accommodation with highly distinctive decor.
Each unit is named after an album or reference linked to U2: Joshua Tree, Vertigo, Zooropa, Boy, Pop, War, Suite 360° and Achtung Baby. The apartments range from 48 to 92 square meters and offer different options, from duplexes to accommodations with terraces or views of the historic center. All are equipped to welcome couples, families or groups of friends, combining the comforts of tourist accommodation with an atmosphere dedicated to the group led by Bono.
What began as a passion for collecting records has thus become a project that brings together music, hospitality and tourism in the heart of Teruel. While Miguel Ángel continues to oversee the events and his collection, his son Óscar keeps Flanagan’s Temple U2 running day to day. Yet among so many memories, visits and celebrations, one dream remains unfulfilled: for Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. to walk through the establishment’s doors one day. It is a hope Labrador already shared in a report published in 2023 and one that would put the finishing touch on a story born from his passion for music.
