Celtic Tenors play to packed house in Nobber

A full house packed Joe Carty"s Auction Rooms in Nobber on Sunday night when renowned artists the Celtic Tenors took to the stage for a fundraising concert hosted by the North East Against Incineration (NEAI) group. This was the second of two concerts organised by the group to raise funds and also raise awareness of their campaign, with country legend Declan Nerney and his band playing on Thursday night. It was the first time the Celtic Tenors performed in the north Meath village and the concert attracted a huge crowd from around Nobber and the surrounding areas. Joe Carty"s was transformed for the full-seated event and the audience was entertained firstly by the Martin Family on harp and mandolin, followed by up-and-coming brother and sister act Andrew and Niamh Gavin, from Navan. The audience was wowed by Andrew"s amazing vocals and the wonderful accompaniment of his sister Niamh on the piano. The Celtic Tenors were greeted with rapturous applause and opened the show with the popular hit 'You Raise Me Up'. The show continued with a varied repertoire including Time to Say Goodbye, Caledonia, Whiskey in the Jar, An Poc ar Buile and many more. Matthew Gilsenan of the Celtic Tenors is originally from Moynalty and has many local connections in the area. His father Matt taught metalwork in the local 'Tech", now O"Carolan College, for many years. 'I love Nobber. My father worked in the Tech and I have connections in Nobber since I was a child. Dad taught metal work to many people here, including Joe Carty,' said Matthew. He said that he is an 'ambassador for Meath' and performs about 200 shows every year outside Ireland and said that 'it is surprising how many people from Meath come to the shows and you hear Nobber over and over again'. The concert was a great success and Matthew said they really enjoyed the venue. 'It was absolutely stunning. Every crowd has their own personality. For a lot of people it was their first time to see the Celtic Tenors. A lot of people came who may not necessarily go to the Concert Hall to see us. It is not every night he gets to go for a pint in his local pub Kiernan"s after a show,' he said. NEAI Secretary John Keoghan said both concerts has been a great success and that they were trying to make people more aware and 'trying to get awareness out there so that people don"t forget about us'. 'The two concerts weren"t as much about raising big money but more about making people aware who we are and what we want to achieve. Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the concert and it was great to bring something like this to Nobber,' said Mr Keogan. A further 'Auction of a Promise' fundraiser is planned in the coming weeks, with details to follow later.