Relive the 80's and support charity in Roscrea with Twilight Disco

Are you ready to relive your glory days of the 1980s with your old friends Twilight Disco and support a great charity in Roscrea?

People in Tipperary and Offaly will remember with great fondness the wonderful nights of the Twilight Disco - where dreams were made, hearts were broken and the memories were made.

Roscrea Friends Community, a group set up to organise charity events in the midlands, will be holding its first event, 'We're Bringing Back The 80s' - an 80s themed night - on May 10th in The Central Bar on Market Square in Roscrea.

A Twilight Disco in the Pathé Hotel Roscrea in the 1980s - the very popular events were the lifeblood of the youth scene

Roscrea has a massive past history of music all kinds of talent growing up in the shadow of local legends on the scene and Ger O'Meara of Twilight Disco has very fond memories of nights in the town and Roscrea Community Radio.

“Having a fundamental knowledge and passion equally helped. One such person with that knowledge was Noelie Fairbrother and a team of local lads on the local pirate radio station of RCR, Roscrea Community Radio using our own collection of records and different genres”, Ger recalls.

“Some great shows, personalities like Billy with the racing results and the Country Show. Noelie had his own show as the Johnny Jason Show with myself, Liam Beefy, The Captain, Noel C , Liam C, Tricia, Murty, Hitler Dooley, George, Des, Bilbo Baggins, just to mention a few . This was my grounding for the times to follow the love of music RCR Disco Roadshow was the 'apprenticeship' gigging all over the country. RCR built up a following and even travelling to Wales during the miners’ strike raising funds for the families of the miners, places like Hollybush, Tredeegar, Emivale. Gigging in the working men’s clubs and rugby clubs (1984)”, Ger recalls.

Twilight Disco on the road in the 1980's - events which will have fond memories for a generation of local people

“Roscrea was our playground - the Muintir na Tire hall, the GAA Pavilion, Kennedy Park Hall, Citeaux Hall, Rugby Clubs, Abbey Hall, Shinrone Hall, the Marian Hall Birr and our home was the Páthé Hotel.

“The Pathé was home, this was where the bonds, the passion, the love the magic happened and a friendship, respect, the happy place was.

“Tom and Lucy Stapleton brought the folk review and they were the teachers and I was the student. From American singer songwriters to the Irish music scene - the likes of The Stunning, The Waterboys, The Saw Doctors, Spyder Simpson, Aslan and local bands like Royal Flush and the Big Generator”, Ger said.

“I believe that the 80’s would have to be one of the best times ever to grow up in the music scene and the experience that goes with it that can never be relived, reproduced but only music can transport you back to those fantastic times, the memories that innocence, the fun the freedom.

"Twilight Disco will always be a happy place in a lot of people’s minds and memories it was our aid them and in the fund raining we did too along the way.

“When I was asked would I consider doing this particular events by John Brophy, I said to my wife Claire and the family and they said a resounding yes. Twilight Disco rises from the ashes, so let the music speak, let’s go back to the 80’s for one night only.

“Twilight wasn’t one person Twilight was many people along the way each their own passion and knowledge of music and personalities, great friends lifelong ones”, Ger O'Meara said.

All proceeds from the event on Saturday night are in aid of The Share A Dream Foundation.

Pictured above is the Dreamland Fun Centre, which was conceived and built by the Share a Dream Foundation's founder, Shay Kinsella

Every year the Share a Dream Foundation helps hundreds of families throughout Ireland to escape from their everyday lives and just have fun.

Their first priority is the needs of the children and their families, and do whatever it takes to provide joyful experiences. To date the Foundation has worked with over 23,500 children and their families all over Ireland.

Share a Dream Foundation helps families throughout Ireland escape from their everyday struggles and hardship for a little while and just have fun and laughter with their most precious loved ones.

With this goal in mind, the Dreamland Fun Centre was conceived and built by the foundation's founder, Shay Kinsella to provide a refuge and place of Joy that children with life changing illnesses and disabilities can visit with their friends, families and carers and share a truly magical time together for a short while.

Every effort is made to create shared memories and celebrate the courageous lives of those special visitors. The Share a Dream Foundation is a non-for-profit Charity and relies on donations to fund its activities.

To this end the Foundation is delighted to announce the support of an incredible group of people from Roscrea who have been impressed by the Foundation's efforts in reaching out to deserving children and their carers.

They are providing the Foundation with its first financial support in many Years by organising the Back to the 80's themed Disco with the proceeds going to assist the Foundations work in re-opening and continuing the dedicated work of granting dreams and supporting children with serious illnesses, disabilities and unique challenges.

Without this type of local support the charity could not continue to create moments of joy, inspiration and hope for children and their families.