U2 star Bono welcomed funk legend Nile Rodgers to Ireland this week (begs21Oct13) by sending him a crate of booze - even though the Chic icon has been sober for almost 20 years.

The Irish rocker had a box of champagne and Guinness sent to Rodgers' dressing room at the Vicar Street venue in Dublin on Tuesday (22Oct13), ahead of Chic's gig there that night, and even included a note with the recipe for a Black Velvet cocktail.

The card read: "U2 Black Velvet, one part champagne, five parts Guinness. In a well chilled larger glass, pour simultaneously the Champagne and Guinness. The ingredients should also be chilled. With love from the U2'ers."

Rodgers, 61, shared a photo of the surprise gift with fans on Twitter.com, and expressed his gratitude by writing, "I came to sound check at VicarStreet Dublin & there was a gift from Bono Ireland Rocks."

However, the musician is unlikely to have cracked open the bottles himself - he turned his back on drugs and alcohol after embarrassing himself at one of Madonna's birthday parties in the mid-1990s.

He previously confessed, "My behaviour, which I don't remember at all, was not so cool. I am almost positive that I was the last person to leave. And I was carried home and it was really ugly.

"I was so embarrassed I didn't even talk to Madonna for a long time... it was completely embarrassing, way out of character for me and it was a resetting of my artistic and moral compass. Honestly, I haven't touched drink or drug again."