Lemanaghan Bog fundraising event to take place on Friday

To coincide with the Pattern Day for St. Manchan, which takes place today (Tuesday), a major fundraising event is set to take place on Friday night (January 27) to raise funds for the Lemanaghan Bog Heritage & Conservation Group.

The event, called “Friday Night Live” is a late, live and local music gig which gets underway at 9pm in Flynn's Pub and features a whole host of local artists. Admission is just €10 and tickets are currently on sale from members of the Lemanaghan committee, who add that “a limited number of tickets” will also be available on the door on Friday night.

The impressive line up for the fundraiser includes music by KK and Ray. ‘White Grass’ will perform with punters hoping to hear some tracks from Brownie Guinan’s new album, Peat Sounds. The talented duo Niamh agus Dathí will also take to the stage along with Ballycumber musician Joe Flynn will take to the stage.

The event coincides with the Pattern Day for St. Manchan, which falls on January 24 each year. St. Manchan's Feast Day is rich in tradition in the Lemanaghan area.

To mark this year's Pattern Day Mass will be celebrated at 7pm this evening in St. Manchans Boher Church, which is home to the famous St. Manchans Shrine. This masterpiece of medieval art contains the bones of the Saint and is on display to the public.

Also in the local Church are the magnificent windows by the internationally renowned stained glass artist and illustrator Harry Clarke with one window specially dedicated to St. Manchan himself.

St. Manchan founded a monastery in Lemanaghan in the seventh century and countless pilgrims will visit the Holy Well and Saint Mella’s Cell today to mark Pattern Day and the feast day of this seventh century Saint who is revered by locals in Lemanaghan and the entire South Offaly area.