The Gathering: Notre Dame – A Welcome Home on Friday 31st August at 9.30 pm
An unmissable Irish/American entertainment spectacular hosted by Miriam O’Callaghan celebrating the kick-off in Ireland of the U.S. College Football Season 2012/2013 Broadcast from the O2, Dublin on RTÉ One Television, RTÉ Radio 1 Extra, and available worldwide on RTE’s official YouTube channel.
The Gathering Ireland 2013 and RTÉ are delighted to announce an exclusive broadcast of The Gathering: Notre Dame – A Welcome Home concert, from the O2, Dublin on Friday August 31st, 2012. The concert will be one of the highlights of the US College Football weekend being held in Ireland. The following day sees the Aviva Stadium play host to The Emerald Isle Classic – Notre Dame vs US Naval Academy.
Presented by Miriam O’Callaghan, the 90 minute concert will combine elements of a traditional Notre Dame pep rally with performances by a host of Ireland’s top entertainers including Brian Kennedy, Damien Dempsey, Eimear Quinn and The High Kings. Taoiseach Enda Kenny will welcome US travelling fans estimated to be in the region of 35,000 as well launching “The Gathering Ireland 2013”; a year-long initiative showcasing all that is great about Ireland and encouraging people worldwide to visit. In a first for Irish Entertainment this unique Irish concert will be simultaneously broadcast on RTÉ One Television, RTÉ Radio 1 Extra and on RTE’s official YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/rte – where the spectacular will be streamed worldwide, enabling anyone with an internet-connected device to tune in and enjoy the event.
The Gathering: Notre Dame – A Welcome Home will honour both Notre Dame and Irish traditions, bringing together the Notre Dame Band and Folk Choir and many of our most popular Irish musicians and performers, in a unique and unmissable concert celebrating the best of Ireland as well as the football heritage of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Irish artists performing include Anuna, Liam O’Flynn, Nollaig Casey, Brian Kennedy, Damien Dempsey, Eimear Quinn, The High Kings and Irish dance master Colin Dunne with one of the highlights of the evening being a specially commissioned drum corps, performing under the batons of musical maestros Noel Eccles and David Hayes.
The total cost involved in the production of the Notre Dame PEP Rally, at the O2 has been underwritten by the Glen Dimplex Group. Door receipts from the event will be donated directly to seven local Irish charities. The charities benefiting are:
• Friends of the Elderly (Bolton Street, Dublin)
• Separated Children Education Service (Parnell Square, Dublin)
• Aisling Project (Ballymun, Dublin) • Life Centre (Pearse Street, Dublin)
• Foundations Project (Sean McDermott Street, Dublin)
• Youth Horizons (Tallaght, County Dublin)
• Forbairt Naíonraí Teoranta
The Gathering: Notre Dame – A Welcome Home is produced by South Winds Blows and broadcast by RTÉ. ENDS Date: Monday 27 August 2012
For further information please contact: Caroline Stephens, RTÉ Digital, Press & Communications: Tel: (01) 208 4159 / 086 8422151, Email: Caroline.Stephens@rte.ie Twitter @rtedigital
Laura Fitzgerald, Press & Publicity Officer, RTÉ Television, Ph: 208 2872 / 087 2923931, Email: Laura.Fitzgerald@rte.ie Twitter @rtepress
Note to Editors: Listeners can tune into to RTÉ Radio 1 Extra on digital radio, UPC channel 901, on Saorview and online at www.rte.ie/radioplayer The Emerald Isle Classic Football Game Notre Dame vs US Naval Academy on September 1st will be only the second time that this great fixture has been played outside the United States since it began in 1927. This sell-out American football game marks the commencement of the College Football Season 2012/13 and will be broadcast live on the CBS Network. It also marks the largest ever contingent of travelling fans for a stand-alone sporting event outside of the U.S., with over 35,000 making the trip to Ireland. The game and surrounding events are set to benefit Ireland’s economy by up to €100 million. The Gathering Ireland 2013 is a year-long series of celebrations, get-togethers and events, big and small, which will showcase all that is great about Ireland – the natural beauty, the rich culture, history and heritage, food, music and sport and of course, the people. Throughout 2013, gatherings around the country will showcase all that is unique and great about Ireland, inviting and inspiring anyone with a connection to Ireland to visit next year. Given the strong, historic connections between Ireland and America, the upcoming Emerald Isle Classic was chosen as an ideal launch pad for the Gathering Ireland 2013. The game and surrounding events present an opportunity to showcase to the 35,000 travelling fans – and the millions watching it on TV in the US – what a Gathering can look like and to extend the invitation to them to return in 2013. The Gathering Ireland 2013 is being promoted internationally as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Ireland and explore connections old and new.
