TC/0587

BOYZONE PROVIDE NEW YEAR CHEER

BOYZONE helped Omagh start the New Year in style, when the chart-topping band performed in the town's Leisure Centre on Saturday last.
Ronan Keating, Steven Gately, Mickey Graham, Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch played two live concerts, and they were supported by another popular Dublin boy band, Westside.
Speaking at the Leisure Centre, the band's heart-throb lead singer, Ronan Keating, explained his reasons for coming to Omagh.
"We just want to bring a little bit of happiness back to the town. This is not a day to make money for the Fund, because we won't be able to. We are here as a gesture of goodwill," he said.
The band entertained their young fans with all their greatest hits, including 'No Matter What', 'I Love The Way You Love Me' and 'Words'.
'Words' is Boyzone's contribution to the Omagh tribute album, 'Across The Bridge Of Hope', which also features tracks from The Corrs, U2, Ash and Daniel O'Donnell.
And in the interval between the afternoon and evening concerts, Boyzone met with more than 150 youngsters who had been affected by the Market Street bomb of August 15.
Among the autograph hunters was 19-year-old Pauline Green, from Carnony Road, Knockmoyle, whose left leg had to be amputated below the knee after the explosion. "They were very friendly and not at all big headed, and I got a chance to talk to them all. If I could choose one word for them it would be 'genuine'. I don't have a favourite: they are all lovely," she said.
"The concert was brilliant. One movement of their's sent everybody mad! Each band member took a turn to speak to the crowd between songs. Ronan said he didn't have to explain why they were there, his main priority was to give everybody a time to remember.
"It was lovely to get the opportunity to go, as I know so many people didn't get tickets," Pauline added.
Another young fan who met her idols was 11-year-old Janet Sloane, from Gortmore Park, who attended the concert with her big sister, Jill. The girls lost their cousin, Aiden Gallagher, in the bomb.
"I didn't think they would come to Omagh. They asked me how 1 was but 1 was too shy to speak, but they did sign our books," said Janet.
Jim Aiken, of Aiken Promotions, said that in a lifetime of promoting events, the Boyzone gig? was the most emotional concert he had ever been involved in.
"Every child in Ireland dreams of something like that happening, that a major band would come to their small town. It was a very special occasion, although it had to be treated very delicately. I saw tears of joy and tears of sadness," he said.
More valuable
"The easy thing for them to do would have been to make a donation, the difficult thing was to play. The visit of Boyzone to Omagh was never considered to be a fundraising concert. That could have been achieved by doing an extra night in the King's Hall in Belfast or the Point in Dublin. But it was considered that a visit to Omagh was more valuable than money," he explained.
"The event was for the young people of Omagh and they thoroughly enjoyed it. Neither Boyzone nor the promoters will benefit from the concert, which was a gesture to the young people of Omagh. Boyzone have to be much admired for fulfilling their promise."
Carmel Harney, duty officer at the Leisure Centre, who was involved in the organisation of the concert, said it was a special occasion for both Boyzone fans and Leisure Centre staff.
"It was very significant that the concert happened here, in the place where anxious relatives gathered to hear about their loved ones in the aftermath of the bomb. It was so good to see the building being used in such a positive way," she said.
"They could have gone to the King's Hall in Belfast and made three times as much money. But they wanted to help the kids spirits as 1999 began, and they also lifted the morale of our staff.
"It is very unusual for such a big band to come to Omagh, but it is what they wanted to do. Standing back and seeing the kids faces, you couldn't put a price on that."
Demand for tickets for the original evening concert, which sold out in less than an hour, encouraged the band to schedule a matinee performance for the same day.
Tickets, which would normally retail at £17.50 were sold at the special price of £10, encouraging many people to camp out overnight to obtain them.
Promoters believe that the concerts were inspired by a previous trip to Omagh on November 19, when Boyzone visited the town to give a surprise Christmas present to a teenage survivor of the bomb.
Claire Gallagher, who was blinded by the blast, had her dream come true when she met Boyzone, and TV personality, Noel Edmunds, was there to record the emotional event for his show, 'Noel's Christmas Presents', which was broadcast on BBC-1 after the Queen's speech on Christmas Day.
Praise for Boyzone also came from Mr Sean Clarke, chairman of Omagh District Council.
"Boyzone have brought much-needed New Year cheer to the Omagh district and our young people. They have begun 1999 for us all in the best possible style," he said.