Celia Larkin, the Dublin-based style consultant, was in Longford this week to help raise funds for the Longford Hospice. Ms Larkin held a style-clinic in the Longford Arms dispensing advice to an audience of around 200 and raising almost £2,500.
The evening was organised by Ms Paddi Connellan, who has raised money for a number of charitable causes in recent years. As a member of the Fianna Fail National Executive she regularly brings parties of locals to tour Aras an Uachtarain and recently brought some locals to Stormont, the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
"But Celia was fabulous," declared a delighted Ms Connellan yesterday morning. "There were between 160 and 200 people in the Longford Arms until 2 a.m. chatting away in the foyer after the evening ended and they were all thrilled that Celia had taken the trouble to come down to Longford.".
According to Mr Mark Connellan, a nephew of Paddi's and chairman of the Longford Hospice and Home Care Committee, the hospice provides a range of services to the terminally ill.
"We have a number of beds reserved at St Joseph's Hospital and Our Lady's Manor nursing home at Edgeworthstown."
For those who can be aided in their homes, the committee provides a hospice nurse and nursing assistants, as well as supplying St Joseph's with medical equipment and facilities for the hospice base there.
"We run our own functions throughout the year, only about four of them, and we are indebted to the Midland Health Board for hefty financial support, but we are always very grateful when an independent fundraiser like this decides to include the Hospice and Home Care Committee in its generosity," said Mr Connellan.