Eurovision legends for Freshford concert in Kilkenny

Eurovision Stars Niamh Kavanagh, Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan will join top local artists in Freshford for a special night of entertainment next week.
They will be joined by Lorraine Maher, Kate Cullen and the Deirdre Maher School of Dancing in this Eurovision Spectacular at St Lachtain’s Church Freshford on Thursday, November 15.
Mary Kennedy
The show will presented by RTE’s Mary Kennedy of Nationwide fame.
Along with timeless Eurovision classics drawn for over 50 years of Eurovision, each artist will perform an individual programme.
Rose of Tralee Musical Director Ollie Hennessy will lead an 11 piece Orchestra and Chorus on the night.
This is the first show to be run in St Lachtain's Catholic Church in Freshford and is a landmark occasion in the long tradition of entertainment in Freshford.
Fr Pat Comerford and Monsignor Kieron Kennedy have been thanked for their support and enthusiasm for the show.
Profits from the show will help to fund the Freshford Odeon Social Enterprise Initiative, a major first-step regeneration programme for the village of Freshford.
Odeon project
The project, which has been extremely well received by Kilkenny County Council and the Kilkenny Leader Partnership, has now reached the Feasibility Study atage.
The estimated cost of the Feasibility study is €30,000.
Following completion of a recent etendering selection process, The Acorn Club now needs to raise €3000 or 10% of these costs through the show to qualify for the balance through our recent Kilkenny LEADER Partnership grant application.
The iconic Odeon cinema was an important thread woven in the the fabric of Freshford life for over 50 years.
Golden age
It was the hub for the golden age of entertainment for which Freshford was renowned.
The study will provide for the preservation of the iconic building but will also examine the viability and sustainability of a diverse range of proposals set forth in the Acorn Club in its proposal document.
These include the reopening of the Odeon as an Art Deco Cinema, the provision of a 1,000 seat theatre with a flexible floor layout to suite exhibitions, cabaret and other evens, bar, café and restaurant facilities, an outside broadcasting unit, library, local history museum, audio-visual centre and a business incubation unit.
The facility would also become the hub for a number of International festivals and would aspire to becoming part of Kilkenny’s Subtitle International Film Festival and the Kilkenny Arts Festival.
The proposal is strong on social inclusion with the new extensive facilities will be open daily and become the hub for all clubs, organisations and schools locally with a range of educational, lifestyle and wellness activities becoming available for all ages.
"Freshford has been under threat for some time. Lack of opportunity, post office and local business closures, poor or neglected infrastruture, rural broadband and depopulation are just some of the challenges facing us today,” noel Cllere of the Acorn club said.
“The Freshford Health Check carried out by Kilkenny County Council has not only highlighted the real problems we have but has also provided us with a strong basis for optimism and a template for real postive change that can benefit us now and the future generations to come,” he said.
“ The fact is - if we value our community and want it to survive and to thrive, we must fight to preserve and develop it. We must work together.
“The Government and semi-state bodies can help but ultimate responsibility for our rural future is our's alone.
“Ballyhale is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when people work together. We can do the same in Freshford,” Noel said.
The Odeon Project is the first step on a long road towards making Freshford a vibrant business and commercial centre while providing the essential amenities and tangible quality-of-life opportunities that every socially-inclusive community needs to survive and to thrive.
“When you come out and support the Freshford Eurovision Special, you are contributing in a meaningful way to a better future for youself, your family and your community - and you'll have a great night out as well,” Noel added.
Niamh Kavanagh
Niamh Kavanagh has been singing for most of her life. Of all her guises within the music industry, Niamh is best known for her Eurovision successes, representing her country twice and winning for Ireland in 1993. She has recorded many albums and collaborations, lending her vocals to one of the best selling soundtrack albums of all time, The Commitments