HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars have been raised for the victims of the Berkeley balcony collapse tragedy as they recover in hospital - and a fundraising concert will take place in Dublin this weekend to add to the funds.
Almost $300,000 has been raised by the Irish Immigrant Pastoral Centre in San Francisco, to assist the five students who remain in hospital in the US.
Last month's tragedy claimed the lives of six Irish students who had been enjoying the 21st birthday party of Aoife Beary on June 16 at an apartment in Berkeley, California.
Lorcán Miller, Eoghan Culligan, Niccolai Schuster, Eimear Walsh and Olivia Burke - all aged 21 - died when the apartment's balcony collapsed, sending them falling 40 feet through the air. Olivia's 22-year-old Irish-American cousin, Ashley Donohoe, also died.
While the Irish-American community has raised $276,000, the community back in Dublin, where the Irish victims are from, is also rallying together to help their friends.
The friends of Clodagh Cogley, one of the victims of the Berkeley tragedy who is recovering in a rehabilitation centre in San Francisco, have organised a benefit concert to raise money for Clodagh and her friends.
Aoife Beary, whose birthday was being celebrated the night of the tragedy, remains in California. Picture: FacebookWestlife star Nicky Byrne will host the concert - with acts such as Mundy, Jape, the Dublin Gospel Choir and Mongoose taking to the stage of The Academy in Dublin.
Clodagh is one of the students who remains in hospital in America since last month's tragedy. Six others were injured - Sean Fahey, Conor Flynn, Aoife Beary, Hannah Waters, Jack Halpin and Niall Murray.
Sean Fahey returned to Ireland to continue his treatment the week after the accident - and Conor Flynn is expected to be coming home in the next couple of weeks.
The money raised in both Ireland and Berkeley will go towards modifying the homes of the survivors and assisting the families with ongoing medical costs, as they recover.
