A Gala Night of Shooting Stars at Belleek Castle

Belleek Castle hosted a Gala Night of Shooting Stars on Saturday, September 26, bringing together guests from Ballina and the wider community and raising €2,540 for the Sunflower Children’s Hospice.

Kamilla Doran of Belleek Castle said that the idea behind the evening was simple, “to bring people together for a beautiful night at the Castle while supporting the extraordinary work of the Hospice.” 

Guests were welcomed with a Prosecco reception before a four-course dinner in the Banqueting Hall, followed by live music from Amanda Goonan, Patrick Lacken and Tony Kelly.

Martina from Mayo Roscommon Hospice attended the Gala and spoke about the Hospice's work and the difference continued community support makes.

“It was such a special evening. When I walked in there, the set up was absolutely magical,” she said and thanked the team at Belleek for organising the event.

Martina said it was also an opportunity to speak to guests about the Sunflower Children’s Hospice, with the focus now on getting the facility built and open.

The children's hospice will be the first outside of Dublin and the first in the west of Ireland. It is being built entirely through fundraising, making events such as the Gala a vital part of the campaign.

“For any child and family with a life-limiting illness in the west of Ireland, there is no children's hospice unless they go to Dublin, and no family wants to drive that far for hospice services,” Martina said.

“It is a beacon of hope and the great thing about it is that it will cover the whole western region, from Donegal to Limerick and over to the Midlands.” 

“Our whole ethos is: helping people to live as well as they can, for as long as they can,” she said.

“We can’t change a diagnosis, we can’t change an outcome, but that journey from diagnosis to end of life, hospice services can make things so much better. Not just for the patient, but for the family.”

Development is moving at pace, with €9m of the €20m needed raised so far through fundraising, donations and the work of volunteers.

“Every cent counts. We are getting there, and it is because of the generosity of people. They are so good. It is a full team effort,” Martina said.

The evening was made particularly special by the generosity of local people and businesses. VIP Weddings, led by Eilish Egan, created the floral styling and décor for the evening, while Cassidy Wines also supported the event.

For the Doran family and the team at Belleek Castle, the night was about more than hosting an event. Belleek has always been a place where the local community gathers, celebrates and marks important moments.

The Gala continued that tradition while supporting a cause that means so much to families throughout Mayo and Roscommon.

Kamilla said the team at Belleek were “absolutely delighted with the amount raised and very grateful to everyone who attended, supported and contributed to the evening."

The Doran family said they were “genuinely touched by the response” from Saturday night and would love for the Gala Night to become a regular event at the Castle.