Now known as the St Brigid's Session, this year will mark the first time the performance will be held in St Brigid's which is now a community-owned building

The inaugural performance was held at the cricket reserve because of a stalemate between the event's organisers and the church. But the magic of the night drew a crowd which continues to return each year for the Monday show.

"When people got word that Mary Black was making an appearance, they're was a whole procession of people leaving Port Fairy for Killarney," said Friends of St Brigid's secretary Teresa O'Brien.

"When she sang a cappella style in Gaelic, you could have heard a pin drop in the room. They were all squashed into that little pavilion, but they did not go away disappointed.

"It was the start of a Folkie tradition and now the Monday night session is a must-do on the Folkie-goer's list.

"They come back year after year, staying an extra night in the district to enjoy the traditional Irish music, played in an intimate setting, that's hard to find outside Ireland."

A fund-raiser for the Friends of St Brigid's, the session has raised a total of $30,000 in the past three years, used by the community association to make a deposit to buy back the buildings in November 2009 after a long campaign to keep them in public hands.

The Friends of St Brigid's have taken out a loan of more than $200,000 to pay for the buildings, built and paid for by their ancestors in 1914.

Ms O'Brien said the first St Brigid's session held in the community-owned buildings was a "happy milestone" for the community.

"But the fight to save St Brigid's is far from over," she said.

"We rely on the funds raised from the night to help keep our community afloat. We're still very much reliant on the support and goodwill of the local and wider community. We're hoping that people will get behind us and join in what is bound to be a special night."

The St Brigid's Session will be held tonight from 8pm at the Crossley Hall.