OMAGH GETS IN PARTY MOOD
Omagh gets in party mood
By JOHN McCUSKER
30,000 dance the night away to kickstart Millennium celebrations
CORRS mania gripped Omagh on Friday evening as around 30,000 ecstatic fans packed the town's Showgrounds for the launch of the
UK's Millennium festivities.
Incessant rain failed to dampen enthusiasm as the chart-toppers headlined a star-studded show to kick-start the year 2000 celebrations.
During the four-and-a-half-hour spectacular, Secretary of State Mo Mowlam helped local schoolchildren Leanne Martin and Brendan Grimes light a special Millennium beacon from which torches were carried to towns and cities throughout Britain.
And a special message from Prime Minister Tony Blair praising the "powerful message of hope and determination" which had come from Omagh, was also read by Dr Mowlam.
Speaking shortly before going on-stage, Andrea, Sharon, Caroline and Jim Corr said they had been delighted at being given the opportunity to launch the event.
Sharon said: "When we were, asked to come here we jumped at the chance. We would not have missed this for the world.
"A new Millennium is something tremendously special and it will mark a new beginning, not only for the people of Omagh, but for everyone."
Her sister Andrea added: "We love coming to Omagh because the people here are very special."
Earlier, Council Chairman Allan Rainey welcomed representatives from 22 towns and cities at a civic reception in the Leisure Centre.
Extending a warm welcome to all visiting dignitaries, the Chairman said the occasion provided local people with a new vision for the future and filled everyone with renewed hope and optimism.
'There is a tremendous impetus for us to create a brighter and better future for our young people. And what better legacy could we give them than the legacy of peace as we enter the new Millennium" he added.
Billed as one of the largest outdoor events ever staged in the North, the concert drew fans from right across the country. And the free gig got the thumbs-up from admirers who were treated to one of the most spectacular shows ever witnessed locally.
Two giant screens at either side of the specially erected stage meant everyone got a good view although that didn't stop dozens clambering onto walls and rooftops surrounding the Showgrounds arena itself.
Beside the stage also stood the gigantic ESB Millennium drum which will be featured at all major Millennium festivals throughout Ireland during the next 16 months.
Standing 7 metres tall, the drum incorporates a Lambeg and Irish bodhran, symbolising the country's two traditions and musical cultures.
Hours before the event was due to begin, queues began forming along Sedan Avenue and Bridge Street. And dozens of enterprising vendors made sure no-one attending the event went hungry or thirsty.
GMTV star, Eamonn Holmes got the show itself rolling by introducing Omagh Community Youth Choir. Fresh from their recent tour of the US, the 28-member choir launched into a series of up-beat numbers which lifted the crowd, which by now had swelled to fill the pitch and spill out onto the adjacent car-park.
They were followed by pupils from Dervaghroy Primary School who performed 'Look To The Future' a number specially written by the pupils themselves. Under the direction of music teacher, Nancy Thornton-Smyth, the 15-strong choir had recently scored success in a special song for the Millennium competition.
Local stars, Dominic Kirwan and Tom Sweeney were next to entertain the crowd Both were given a rapturous welcome as they launched into a series of sing-along hit songs.
Guitarist, Arty McGlynn was joined by uileann piper, Liam O'Flynn and other top names from the field of Irish traditional music, who included the Spanish tune 'Alborada' in their programme, in memory of the two Spaniards who died in last year's bombing.
Different Drums of Ireland proved a real hit with concert goers. Incorporating a wide variety of musical styles, the band were joined mid-way through their set by a lone figure who appeared on top of the massive Millennium drum. To the beat of two Lambegs, he began pounding the huge bodhran, sending a wave of sound through the crowds and providing a spectacular vision beamed from the two massive screens.
Following the lighting of the Millennium beacon, torches were then taken from the ground by 40 young people from five continents. And cheers rang out as 2000 yellow balloons were released into the night sky.
To a deafening roar, the Corrs took the stage and, launching into 'Only When I Sleep,' the Dundalk based chart-toppers had a sea of thousands of faces bouncing.
Top numbers like 'Forgiven Not Forgotten', 'Runaway' and 'What Do I Do To Make You Love Me' were also incorporated in their 70-minute programme, while the fiddle-playing of Sharon Corr had small groups dancing in circles around the ground.
The band finished off with an encore which included their hit single 'So Young.'
During the evening, three young people from different areas of the North read from the Millennium Youth Pledge.
They expressed the hopes and aspirations for the future generation, saying: "We hope the new Millennium will signal a change in old attitudes.
"It is time to let the world know that we are here, not through the echo of the bullet and the bomb, but through the vibrant sounds of our laughter and joy."
By JOHN McCUSKER
30,000 dance the night away to kickstart Millennium celebrations
CORRS mania gripped Omagh on Friday evening as around 30,000 ecstatic fans packed the town's Showgrounds for the launch of the
UK's Millennium festivities.
Incessant rain failed to dampen enthusiasm as the chart-toppers headlined a star-studded show to kick-start the year 2000 celebrations.
During the four-and-a-half-hour spectacular, Secretary of State Mo Mowlam helped local schoolchildren Leanne Martin and Brendan Grimes light a special Millennium beacon from which torches were carried to towns and cities throughout Britain.
And a special message from Prime Minister Tony Blair praising the "powerful message of hope and determination" which had come from Omagh, was also read by Dr Mowlam.
Speaking shortly before going on-stage, Andrea, Sharon, Caroline and Jim Corr said they had been delighted at being given the opportunity to launch the event.
Sharon said: "When we were, asked to come here we jumped at the chance. We would not have missed this for the world.
"A new Millennium is something tremendously special and it will mark a new beginning, not only for the people of Omagh, but for everyone."
Her sister Andrea added: "We love coming to Omagh because the people here are very special."
Earlier, Council Chairman Allan Rainey welcomed representatives from 22 towns and cities at a civic reception in the Leisure Centre.
Extending a warm welcome to all visiting dignitaries, the Chairman said the occasion provided local people with a new vision for the future and filled everyone with renewed hope and optimism.
'There is a tremendous impetus for us to create a brighter and better future for our young people. And what better legacy could we give them than the legacy of peace as we enter the new Millennium" he added.
Billed as one of the largest outdoor events ever staged in the North, the concert drew fans from right across the country. And the free gig got the thumbs-up from admirers who were treated to one of the most spectacular shows ever witnessed locally.
Two giant screens at either side of the specially erected stage meant everyone got a good view although that didn't stop dozens clambering onto walls and rooftops surrounding the Showgrounds arena itself.
Beside the stage also stood the gigantic ESB Millennium drum which will be featured at all major Millennium festivals throughout Ireland during the next 16 months.
Standing 7 metres tall, the drum incorporates a Lambeg and Irish bodhran, symbolising the country's two traditions and musical cultures.
Hours before the event was due to begin, queues began forming along Sedan Avenue and Bridge Street. And dozens of enterprising vendors made sure no-one attending the event went hungry or thirsty.
GMTV star, Eamonn Holmes got the show itself rolling by introducing Omagh Community Youth Choir. Fresh from their recent tour of the US, the 28-member choir launched into a series of up-beat numbers which lifted the crowd, which by now had swelled to fill the pitch and spill out onto the adjacent car-park.
They were followed by pupils from Dervaghroy Primary School who performed 'Look To The Future' a number specially written by the pupils themselves. Under the direction of music teacher, Nancy Thornton-Smyth, the 15-strong choir had recently scored success in a special song for the Millennium competition.
Local stars, Dominic Kirwan and Tom Sweeney were next to entertain the crowd Both were given a rapturous welcome as they launched into a series of sing-along hit songs.
Guitarist, Arty McGlynn was joined by uileann piper, Liam O'Flynn and other top names from the field of Irish traditional music, who included the Spanish tune 'Alborada' in their programme, in memory of the two Spaniards who died in last year's bombing.
Different Drums of Ireland proved a real hit with concert goers. Incorporating a wide variety of musical styles, the band were joined mid-way through their set by a lone figure who appeared on top of the massive Millennium drum. To the beat of two Lambegs, he began pounding the huge bodhran, sending a wave of sound through the crowds and providing a spectacular vision beamed from the two massive screens.
Following the lighting of the Millennium beacon, torches were then taken from the ground by 40 young people from five continents. And cheers rang out as 2000 yellow balloons were released into the night sky.
To a deafening roar, the Corrs took the stage and, launching into 'Only When I Sleep,' the Dundalk based chart-toppers had a sea of thousands of faces bouncing.
Top numbers like 'Forgiven Not Forgotten', 'Runaway' and 'What Do I Do To Make You Love Me' were also incorporated in their 70-minute programme, while the fiddle-playing of Sharon Corr had small groups dancing in circles around the ground.
The band finished off with an encore which included their hit single 'So Young.'
During the evening, three young people from different areas of the North read from the Millennium Youth Pledge.
They expressed the hopes and aspirations for the future generation, saying: "We hope the new Millennium will signal a change in old attitudes.
"It is time to let the world know that we are here, not through the echo of the bullet and the bomb, but through the vibrant sounds of our laughter and joy."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1304
Published Date: 09-Sep-99
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