More than 10,000 attend 31st Light Up A Life Ceremony at Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services, Harolds Cross

The 31st annual Light Up A Life Remembrance Ceremony took place at Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services (OLH&CS) in Harold’s Cross last night, with more than 10,000 people attending.

With The Coronas frontman, Danny O’Reilly as guest of honour, an evening of song and remembrance took place, culminating in the lighting of the Light Up A Life Christmas Tree.

Today FM’s Ian Dempsey was MC, as local choirs and performers took to the stage.

Danny O’Reilly was also joined by his mother and legendary singer, Mary Black for a special performance.

Approximately 10,000 people attended the special event of music and remembrance, culminating in the lighting of the Light Up A Life Christmas tree.

Light Up A Life is an important fundraiser for Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services (OLH&CS), which is Ireland’s largest palliative care provider with hospices in Harold’s Cross, Blackrock and Wicklow -serving a catchment area of one million people.

Bronwen and Brendan Allan with their daughter
Grace (age 13) from Greystones.

Mary Flanagan, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services said: “From the thousands of people who attended, the performers who took time out of busy schedules to join us and the Defence Forces, Order of Malta and volunteers who volunteered their time, the continued success of Light Up a Life is testament to the importance and special place it holds in peoples’ hearts.

“As well as being a very important fundraiser to support the work of our 700 staff and 330 volunteers who work with residents, patients and their families across South Dublin and Wicklow, Light Up A Life offers our community an opportunity to remember and honour their loved ones at this time of year”, she added.

Pictured at Our Lady’s Hospice and Care Services’ annual Light Up A Life Remembrance Ceremony in Harold’s Cross are Sinead Quinn from Firhouse, Linda Roe from The Liberties and Valerie Quinn from Firhouse.

During 2022, 4,867 admissions (5% increase on 2021) were made across OLH&CS’s three sites.

The Specialist Community Palliative Care Teams made more than 12,110 patient visits (18% increase on 2021), carrying out almost 5,925 reviews, either in patients’ place of residence or through ‘virtual visits’.

Light Up A Life sponsored lights in honour of loved ones and displayed online as well as festive decorations, cards and pins are available online until the end of the year on the Light Up A Life website: https://lightupalife.ie/

Businesses can also support Light Up A Life by becoming a Leading Light for Hospice. https://lightupalife.ie/company-support/