Jim Kierans and the ‘Drop of Irish’

ANY suggestion that the Irish don’t appeciate their own was flatly disproved last week at the Star and Crescent Centre when a packed house demonstrated in no uncertain fashion, its delight with “A Drop Of Irish”.

The show, in aid of the Red Cross, was the brainchild of Jim Kierans, one of the best known amateur impressarios in Drogheda who was responsible for bringing such people as Rolf Harris, Val Doonican, Jimmy Logan, Frank Carson, Terry Wogan and a host of others before a Drogheda audience for the Lord Mayor Show, down through the years.

Jim was also very much involved in the staging of the B& I/Sunday Independent Passage to Stardom contest this year, when he acted in the dual capacity of PRO and Competitions Organiser. Because of the high standard of the competition he decided to bring back some of the talented people involved and re-introduce them to the Drogheda audience.

And that is what happened on Monday night when ‘A Drop Of Irish” was staged, featuring the winners of the group section in the competition, The Marley Family, plus Lorraine Coleman a singer who has had great success with her career since the event. Also appearing were Gerry O’Halloran, a tenor who has appeared in Drogheda on previous occasions, the Ruddy School of Dancing which is well known locally and Mike Roche a comedian who acted as compere for the night.

All of the artists gave their services free and the takings on the door were handed over to the Drogheda branch of the Red Cross who will use it to help buy an ambulance.

Judging by the reaction of the audiences it certainly wasn’t a charity to give their £2 at the door for the show, they got good value. The Marley Family went down particularly well with their brand of traditional and folk music which carried them to victory, and made them £1,000 richer as a result, in the B& I/Sunday independent competition.