MONEY ROLLS IN AS IRISH DIG DEEP TO HELP CHARITY; STARS TURN OUT IN FORCE ON A DAY OF FUN FOR PEOPLE IN NEED.

TELETHON mania reached fever pitch yesterday as the country went all out to raise cash for people in need.

The television marathon kicked off at 3pm on RTE, and late last night the money was still pouring in from all over the country.

The stars came out in force for the annual fundraiser and organisers firmly expect to break last year's record of pounds 3million raised for needy causes.

Jean Claude Van Damme, Boyzone, the Carter Twins and Bob Geldof joined RTE celebrities such as Gay Byrne and Mick Lally to give the charity marathon a real star quality.

The TV extravaganza pulled in massive audiences for over eight hours and encouraged people to pledge cash to worthy causes.

As a reward viewers were treated to special performances by the big stars in a top night of TV fun.

But the real hard-work was done by thousands of big-hearted people in every corner of Ireland who pulled out the stops to make sure yesterday was a lucrative and a whacky day.

Gimmicks, stunts and antics were the order of the day as the country let its hair down to help the less well off.

One of the crazier ideas came from Aer Lingus staff who grouped together to pull a massive passenger jet across the runway at Dublin airport.

The airline staff managed to get the hulking aircraft moving - and get friends to dig deep for people in need at the same time.

But if planes were making waves in Dublin, it was automobiles that got things going in Waterford.

Driving enthusiasts Ger Tully and Frank Cunningham managed to smash their way into the record books as well as drumming up cash for charity.

The dynamic duo visited every county in Ireland in just 11 hours and 42 minutes.

They set off from Cork at 7.00pm on Thursday, criss-crossed all 32 counties and arrived back in Waterford in time to break the existing record by 37 minutes.

In Dublin, the city centre was transformed by the madcap antics of thousands of Telethon volunteers.

Shoppers on Grafton Street got a fright when they were confronted by a military armoured car which gently persuaded them to part with some cash.

And if they weren't frightened into donating, there were also exotic belly dancers on hand to entice the money from them in a more subtle way.

Tanaiste Mary Harney oversaw a marathon head-shaving contest at A.C Tape and Packaging in Ballmount Industrial Estate - but the PD leader opted to hang on to her own locks.

Meanwhile, in Harcourt Street, Dubliners were taking the good weather a touch too far by flocking to a city centre beach party!

Accountancy staff at Ernst and Young were responsible for bringing a touch of California to the street with a "surf simulator" contest which included an impromptu beach complete with cocktails, umbrellas, sand and a 'Seaside Fat Lady.'

And Telethon veteran John Bowes is still hopeful of topping his 1996 record with his latest gimmick - spending 24 hours in a phone box.

The Telecom Eireann employee was shut up in the tiny kiosk opposite Trinity College at six o'clock on Thursday evening and didn't emerge until six last night.

The big hearted Tipperary man was the state phone company's top telethon fundraiser two years ago and this year he hopes to be top of the heap again.

The 48-year-old father-of-four will be fasting for the 24 hours of his confinement in the box - but he won't go short of people to talk to.

Telecom Eireann bosses also arranged for the whole thing to be put out live on the internet.

John certainly had one web surfer tuned in, his 22-year-old daughter Deirdre was glued to the site from her home in Hong Kong for her first live glimpse of her dad in months.