BOYZONE BOOST FOR OMAGH
Boyzone boost for Omagh
By Ciaran McGuigan
POP heart-throbs Boyzone were to meet victims of the Omagh bomb today when they played two emotional tribute concerts in the town.
The pop superstars were to perform at the Omagh Leisure Centre, where many of the victims were taken in the immediate aftermath of the Real IRA bomb which left 29 dead and more than 300 injured.
Soon after the bombing, Boyzone, voted Best Band on the" Planet by Smash Hits magazine, said they would do anything they could to help the injured and bereaved.
"They believe that sometimes music is the best thing to cross boundaries," said a spokeswoman for the band.
The event will be a major boost to the young people of Omagh still struggling to come to terms with the August 15 atrocity.
"Basically it is very important for the young people of the Omagh area at this time that Boyzone are paying this special visit to the town," said SDLP councillor Joe Byrne.
"They are perhaps the biggest pop group in these islands at the minute and their visit will be a boost to the people as they try to look forward to the New Year with a sense of hope," he added.
Members of the band, whose hit single Words features on the Across the Bridge of Hope tribute album, were also to take time out from performing to meet survivors of the blast.
The band had originally planned a one-off concert, but added a second matinee show after tickets sold out in less than an hour.
And on Christmas day viewers saw lead singer Ronan Keating visit budding musician Claire Gallagher (15), who was blinded in the bombing, and present her with a state-of-the-art voice-activated computer system
By Ciaran McGuigan
POP heart-throbs Boyzone were to meet victims of the Omagh bomb today when they played two emotional tribute concerts in the town.
The pop superstars were to perform at the Omagh Leisure Centre, where many of the victims were taken in the immediate aftermath of the Real IRA bomb which left 29 dead and more than 300 injured.
Soon after the bombing, Boyzone, voted Best Band on the" Planet by Smash Hits magazine, said they would do anything they could to help the injured and bereaved.
"They believe that sometimes music is the best thing to cross boundaries," said a spokeswoman for the band.
The event will be a major boost to the young people of Omagh still struggling to come to terms with the August 15 atrocity.
"Basically it is very important for the young people of the Omagh area at this time that Boyzone are paying this special visit to the town," said SDLP councillor Joe Byrne.
"They are perhaps the biggest pop group in these islands at the minute and their visit will be a boost to the people as they try to look forward to the New Year with a sense of hope," he added.
Members of the band, whose hit single Words features on the Across the Bridge of Hope tribute album, were also to take time out from performing to meet survivors of the blast.
The band had originally planned a one-off concert, but added a second matinee show after tickets sold out in less than an hour.
And on Christmas day viewers saw lead singer Ronan Keating visit budding musician Claire Gallagher (15), who was blinded in the bombing, and present her with a state-of-the-art voice-activated computer system
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0553
Published Date: 02-Jan-99
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