A music event has been organised in Galway to raise money to help the victims of the recent earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.
Much loved Irish singer Mary Coughlan has organised the Big Gig, a fundraising event in aid of the earthquakes that recently hit Turkey and Syria, where the death toll has now surpassed 45,000.
The Big Gig, which will take place next Saturday, February 25, in Leisureland, Salthill at 7pm, will include acts such as Mundy, Kíla, Sharon Shannon, Liam O'Maonlai & friends, Tracy Bruen, Ultan Conlon, Susan O'Neill, Frances Black, The Amazing Apples and MC Hector.
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Tickets for the night are €40 and there will be a raffle on the night with a selection of prizes to raise further funds.
Speaking to RSVP Live, the Galway singer explained that she was spurred on after seeing the work of Waterford woman Anne O Rorke, who runs a non-profit organisation working with Syrian refugees in Turkey.
Mary told the publication: "I heard Anne O Rorke talking on the news on Wednesday, and she has been running a refugee centre for Syrian women and children for a very long time. Then the earthquake happened, and all hell broke loose.
"I talk to her every day and she has had an influx of 26,000 people that she does not have anything for, really."
"She told me of a young woman who walked to the camp with her four-day-old baby. She had nothing, her whole family had been killed. It is not just going to be help for food and shelter, but for more long-term help too.
"I don't know what's going to happen, but Anne has been working there for years along with other Irish women... and it is just terrible. It makes you feel quite helpless, but then when you try to do something, it can make a positive change."
The singer added that they are still working on finding hotels and B&Bs to pledge rooms for the music acts and crew as a donation.
She said: "We have loads of great acts, but we don't have any rooms to put them in. We have some wonderful B&Bs on board but we need some more, we need to put up about 20 people, so that's what I'm working on.”
Hotel owners in Galway willing to donate can let Mary know via her Facebook page. If you cannot attend, you can also stream the event where you can also donate.
The event will also be streamed online for those who cannot attend in person, and those who are watching can donate.
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