Tommy Fleming performs a concert for Athboy church funds

Tommy Fleming, one of Ireland"s biggest selling Irish artists over recent years, will perform in St James" Church, Athboy, on Friday, 7th November in aid of the Church Restoration Fund and the efforts to clear a €750,000 debt. Fleming"s 'Voice of Hope" album was a number one selling CD and number two selling DVD. This success has been followed with a new studio album entitled 'A Life Like Mine" released under his new record label, Universal Music, the first of a recently signed five album deal. This album also went platinum. His concerts are the biggest selling shows in venues throughout the entire island and these successes have come after 18 years of hard graft, and his last album, 'A Journey Home" is also presented as CD/DVD recorded live at the INEC in Killarney with a 23-piece orchestra, band and choir. It catalogues the journey of Irish music from Thomas Moore to U2. Tommy Fleming is also expanding to other territories having recently signed to Universal Classics & Jazz (UK) who have taken all of his back catalogue of recordings in addition to the recent albums. He is now a stablemate on the label of such luminaries as Andreas Bocelli, Russell Watson, Catherine Jenkins, Leslie Garrett, Bryn Terfnell, Hayley Westerner and Dame Kiri Tae Kanawa. St James" Church in Athboy opened in the year 1845 after being built on a bog with foundations supported by oak logs which came from Headfort Estate following the 'year of the big wind". Massive renovations and repairs started in 2005 and were completed in 2006. It is a listed building and as such all repairs and renovations carried out by local builder KPM Construction had to be made good to the original state which required that material used was that of the same type originally used by the tradesmen in the 1840s. The two side chapels were added in the early 1900s and St Joseph"s chapel had to be underpinned in the recent renovations. The mosaic which was covered by carpet for many years was restored to its original state. The organ in the church at the moment was originally in Eccles Street Convent, the present site of the Mater Private Hospital. The building project cost €1.6 million and there is an outstanding debt of €750,000 . Tommy Fleming and his Orchestra will play at 7pm on Friday, 7th November, and tickets are available in the Old Darnley Lodge Hotel and McElhinneys of Athboy.