Thousands to attend events for Polish charity

Thousands of Poles living in Ireland are expected to attend concerts, exhibitions and other events tomorrow to mark Poland's …

Thousands of Poles living in Ireland are expected to attend concerts, exhibitions and other events tomorrow to mark Poland's biggest charity fundraising day. Ruadhán Mac Cormaic, Migration Correspondent, reports.

The annual Great Finale, a day of fundraising for children's hospitals held across Poland and among its diaspora, will be marked by events in Dublin, Cork and Galway. Last year's activities in Ireland attracted some 3,000 people and raised more than €20,000.

In Poland, where the initiative has become a major national occasion since it was conceived by media personality Jurek Owsiak in 1993, celebrations will be broadcast live on television and online.

Organisers encourage Poles to hold concerts, parties and other events on the first or second Sunday in January, and some €44 million has been raised for children's health services in the past 15 years.

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Tomorrow's events in Dublin will centre around the Voodoo Lounge in Smithfield, where there will be live music from 6pm onwards, featuring English band Nucleus Roots, Polish jazz ensemble Express Active and Irish reggae band United Tribe.

A Polish market selling crafts and books, an exhibition of Polish artists, a charity raffle, competitions and fortune telling are among the other activities being run during the day, between the Voodoo Lounge and Karma on Fishamble Street, in Temple Bar.

Events taking place in Galway will include live music and auctions in the Cellar Bar on Eglinton Street from 6pm, with fundraising taking place in the city centre during the day. In Cork, activities start at 10am with a showcase of children's films at the North Gate cinema on North Main Street.

Other attractions include face-painting and concerts at An Crúiscín Lán on Douglas Street and, at the Savoy, a charity auction followed by a performance by Polish band Formacja Niezywych Schabow.