BYRNE TO ANNOUNCE LATE LATE BOOST FOR OMAGH
Byrne to announce late, late boost for Omagh
By Michael Devine and Ciaran McGuigan
RTE chat show host Gay Byrne is expected to announce tonight that his Late, Late Show special in aid of the Omagh ' victims' fund has raised up to IR£500,000. The news comes as a major cross-border, commerce visit was today expected to boost the bomb-devastated town.
More than 80 members of Malahide Chamber of Commerce were due to arrive in Omagh this afternoon in response to the Give a Day to Omagh appeal.
Last night 10,000. people packed the streets' of the town to watch singing star Daniel O'Donnell switch on the Christmas tree lights.
Pledges of cash for the Omagh fund flowed into RTE during and after last Friday's spectacular which featured many of Ireland's top entertainment stars, including U2, Daniel O'Donnell, Brian Kennedy and The Corrs.
The phones were jammed with people offering financial aid and within hours the total swelled to over IR£200,000.
People who were bereaved and injured by the bomb blast in Omagh last August, which claimed, 29 lives, were among the packed audience.
Between performances by the stars, the Omagh people spoke of their traumatic experiences when the bomb planted by the so-called Real IRA went off.
The visit by Malahide Chamber of Commerce and Industry is being led by Philip O'Reilly, the President of the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland.
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