An ancient and ultra-rare U2 recording from 1979 has been found.

By 1979, U2 has coalesced into its four-person lineup and were playing as many gigs and showcases as they could–more than 200, in fact. A few of these shows were recorded, but most of them have been lost.

It was thought that the earliest U2 recording in existence was made by Irish radio at the Cork Opera House on October 22, 1979. But there’s been a new discovery.

AtU2 reports on a recording of a matinee appearance at the Dandelion Market in Dublin on August 11, 1979, about six weeks before CBS Ireland released the U2:3 EP. U2 fans have been searching for a complete recording of that gig.

Here’s a sample from that afternoon. (The full setlist can be found here.)

Read the whole story of the discovery here. Via Larry.