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BOYZONE PUT SMILES ON FACES OF YOUNG PEOPLE OF OMAGH
BY: ROSETTA DONNELLY

DUBLIN pop band, Boyzone put the smiles back on the faces of the young people of Omagh when they paid a visit at the weekend.
The chart-topping band certainly 'Gave a day to Omagh' by spending all day Saturday in the town, putting on two gigs and meeting those injured in the Real IRA bomb in August.
The band kept their promise when they played to 2,000 people from the Omagh area who included those maimed, burned and disfigured in the blast.
The teenagers braved icy winds and rain and began queuing at 5.00 am to grab the best seats in the house for the matinee performance. And they were not disappointed when the five lads took to the stage amid welcoming deafening screams.
The concert lasted 1.20 minutes - about 30 minutes less than their usual gigs, and the band sang fifteen of the hits which have made them household names in just five years.
Whilst certainly not the largest audiences Boyzone has played to, they are nonetheless very special. Lead singer, Ronan Keating, said afterwards the Omagh gigs were the 'most special' they have ever performed.
During the concert, Ronan told the young audience "I don't want to go into the reason why were are here. We are here to have a good time - isn't that right". He went on "Last night we were in Dublin and played to 6,600 fans. We got a bigger cheer today than we did last night". On a more sombre note, Ronan said he wished with all his heart a better and brighter 1999 for Omagh.
The band wanted to do something for the town, he said. Choosing the best way they knew, they decided to put on two concerts. They waived the normal fee, with the result that the concerts' proceeds are expected to top £20,000.
Boyzone also announced that they are donating a platinum disc which they received for record sales to the Omagh Fund which they hope will be auctioned to raise a substantial sum of money.
After the matinee performance, the stars met about 150 young victims of the atrocity - many still bearing the awful scars of that fateful day. The band signed autographs and had photographs taken with the young fans.
One 19 year old, Pauline Greene, from Omagh who was standing beside the car when the bomb exploded and was severely burned, said seeing Boyzone was a terrific boost.
Pauline, who spent four months in hospital, is taking a year out from her studies to become an art teacher, to recover from her horrific injuries.
She met and talked with Boyzone and said it was like a dream come true. She said she was amazed at how 'genuine and down to earth the lads were' and that they really seemed to care about the people of Omagh.
Heart-throb, Mikey, speaking to the 'Herald' after the concert, said the hand hoped by donating the platinum disc, that more money could be raised for the bomb victims. He said they wanted to help Omagh and added that people everywhere have a duty to take Omagh into their hearts and help the people there whatever way they can.
He said the Omagh concerts were very important "I have never felt so proud in all my career with the band, as I did today playing to the people of Omagh" he added.
Promoter, Jim Aiken, said it was one of the most emotional days in his history of putting on groups in Northern Ireland. "It gives me great hope for the future of this business by what these boys have done here today.
"Everybody, including myself, are deeply appreciative of Boyzone coming here to put on a gig when they really should have been on .holiday. It's just fantastic to be associated with such a genuine bunch of lands. I am proud to have met them and they deserve a lot of credit" said Mr Aiken.