Local people get behind the Haiti relief effort

Two concerts will take place next week to raise vital funds for the relief effort in disaster struck Haiti, which was rocked by a massive earthquake that measured 7.0 on the Richter scale.Midland's 103 DJ Joe Cooney from Killucan and his wife Marion have lined up a big night's entertainment on Tuesday, January 26 in Tullamore's Bridge House Hotel.Joe who presents the Country music programme Country Roads nightly between 8 and 10 o'clock on the local station has line-up the who's who of Country music scene in Ireland, including Dave Lawlor, Rosie Flanagan, Shawn Cuddy, Pat Whelan, Ray Lynam, Carmel Sheerin and The Ravens, Louise Morrisey, Shaun Loughrey, The Bean Sisters, Damien Bowe, Joe Rabbitte, John Hogan, Keith McDonald, Mike Denver, Sweet Sensation, Johnny Mullen, John McNicholl, Geraldine and Kinfolk and TR Dallas.Tickets costing €15 are available now for the show that kicks off at 7.30pm, from Heartbeat City in Tullamore, Music World in Athlone and the Bridge House Hotel reception. All proceeds on the night will go to GOAL.And in Mullingar on Thursday night, another major concert in aid of CONCERN will take place in the Greville Arms Hotel.TR Dallas, Nando, Billy Mac, Enda Cassidy, Maeve Corroon, Tony Irwin, Paul Doolin plus many more will take to the stage on January 28.Tickets costing €10 are available from the Greville Arms Hotel and from Brian Fagan's charity shop Treasure Chest on Pearse Street.It is estimated that almost 200,000 people have been killed by the Haiti quake, with ten's of thousands more injured, so every penny counts.