I was always singing to him, even when I was pregnant I was singing to him. When he was small I was always trying to teach him the lines of little songs,” laughs Laura Hall of singing with her, son Ian.

The pair are something of a musical powerhouse in the counties of Monaghan and Cavan. Even though they have been singing together since before Ian was born, they only officially collaborated last year, when they both released CDs in aid of a number of different charities.

Laura and Ian farm sucklers near Clones and raised €9,000 for charity last year alone. Ian donated €2,200 to the Holy Family School in Cootehill, of which he is a past pupil, along with €800 to the Arch Club in Monaghan Town, that he is a member of.

Laura donated €2,000 each to three cancer charities; Friends of Cavan Oncology Unit, Monaghan Cancer Treatment Support and the Cavan Monaghan Palliative Care Fund, causes very close to her heart.

“Twenty years ago my sister died of cancer, she was 43,” Laura explains of the inspiration behind the CDs.

Last year for her anniversary I had a family get together and I just decided then I would record hymns in her memory.

"I would have sang a lot in churches, different choirs and at carol services.”

Ian, who prefers country music, has previously sang with Declan Nerney and also on Northern Sound radio. Laura mostly sang hymns before, but is now singing more and more country songs.

“Ian is young, he had no fear. I’m only starting out now and the first time I sang on my own I was so nervous, but I’m alright now. Ian has been singing as long as he can remember, he has been singing all his life,” says Laura proudly.

Despite the fact that the mother and son have raised such a large sum of money, they are not stopping yet. Laura and Ian have recorded two new CDs of county music, The Times We’ve Shared and Singalong with Us. The CDs are priced at €10 each and have 12 tracks on them. They will be on sale at the Cottage Market in Monaghan Town on 6 April from 11am-3pm and are also available from Multisound in Cavan Town. CL

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Listen: €9K raised and no sign of the singing stopping

Laura and Ian Hall, a mother and son duo, have come together with their hymns and country music to raise money for a number of deserving charities, writes Anne O’Donoghue.