Killarney

By Michelle Crean
<h3>A fundraising event is being dubbed the &#8216;Concert of Freedom&#8217; to mark the first such event since the pandemic began &#8211; and it&#8217;s to help raise much needed funds for three churches in one parish.</h3>
Glenflesk locals are hard at work behind the scenes organising the event for Bank Holiday Monday (October 25) with Country Music singer Sandy Kelly as the main act, supported by Gerry Guthrie and Lorraine McDonald in the INEC at 8pm.
Fr Kevin McNamara, who moved to Glenflesk Parish in August, is spearheading the Glenflesk Parish Church Maintenance Fund and originally booked Sandy Kelly for a fundraiser in his previous North Kerry parish.
&#8220;I had Sandy Kelly booked to come to Moyvane but I was changed to Glenflesk on August 4,&#8221; Fr Kevin told the Killarney Advertiser.
&#8220;She&#8217;s been very supportive. It&#8217;ll be a great event. She has a great story to tell.&#8221;
Fundraisers will be ongoing for the three churches in the parish but the immediate focus will be on Barraduff Church, he explained.
&#8220;The parish has three churches and we&#8217;re setting up a parish fund for refurbishment and upgrading works. It&#8217;ll be an ongoing maintenance fund. This concert is to start it. Barraduff Church is the most urgent as it&#8217;s in an emergency state. The roof is quite suspect and the electrics need to be done.&#8221;
He said that he recently formed a new parish committee who will be meeting next week to discuss any changes to the concert date due to Government and NPHET advice.
&#8220;There is a 600 limit and the proper procedures will be in force. I would encourage people to view this as a concert of freedom and there&#8217;ll be a little gift for everyone to mark this first concert.&#8221;
Tickets are &euro;30 and available from the INEC ticket office, from the parish office in Glenflesk, and after Mass in St Agatha&rsquo;s, Our Lady Of The Wayside &ndash; Clonkeen, and Sacred Heart Church &ndash; Barraduff, this Sunday.

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