Donegal folk have been urged to support a special star-studded protest concert for the campaign to keep cancer services in Sligo.
Campaign spokesman, Ballyshannon-based Donegal county councillor Barry O’Neill, said: “It’s expected that thousands of people from all over the North West will join leading entertainers at the protest concert. The event will send the strongest message
to the government to date that the people of the North West are not in favour of the decision to remove vital cancer services from Sligo General Hospital.”
The concert in Sligo’s O’Connell Street on Saturday week, April 26th, will feature Dervish, Tommy Fleming, Tabby Callaghan and Charlie McGettigan in what organisers have promised will be “the biggest demonstration that the North West has ever seen.”
Other top entertainers from the region will include the Mairtin O’Connor
Band, Mary McPartland, Seamie O’Dowd & Friends, Dick Gaughan (Scotland), Moonchild, Tucan and many more.
Dervish lead vocalist Cathy Jordan said that the musicians are pleased to participate. She said: “The decision to remove excellent cancer services from Sligo doesn’t sound like progress when we already have a great service. It will impose excessive extra travel on patients with hundreds of miles of misery being endured by thousands of cancer sufferers.”
Cathy, who fronted Ireland’s entry at Eurovision last year added: “So many critical decisions in this country seem to be railroaded without public consultation. It’s cruelty beyond comprehension”.
Former X-Factor finalist and Sligo native Tabby Callaghan said: “This decision is a massive setback to the North West. To have people travelling from the west coast of Donegal to Galway is disgraceful. We deserve the same cancer service and access
to it as those residing in the East, South and West.”
The three-hour concert will be preceded by a protest march to the town centre from Sligo Institute of Technology at 2 p.m. on the day.

(Reporter: Paddy Clancy)