Irish actor Liam Neeson was in Dublin today not as Hollywood superstar, but in the more sober role of Unicef Ireland ambassador.
Liam Neeson - left Mozambique
Here to mark the 10 thanniversary of Unicef's Change for Good campaign, he said he was "humbled" by the work Unicef is doing to help children in 156 countries and territories around the world.
In collaboration with Aer Lingus, Unicef Ireland has been running the campaign, which collects passengers' left over notes and coins in Unicef envelopes supplied on-board all their long haul flights since 1997, raising more than €6.25m in the process. One in every two passengers donates in-flight.
Last year all money raised via the campaign went to Unicef's Unite for Children, Unite against Aids campaign, which is supporting children who have been orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/Aids in sub-Saharan Africa.
Today, Unicef Ireland's executive director, Maura Quinn pledged all money raised by the campaign to the same cause until 2010.
Thanking the Irish people for their generosity, Neeson, who is Ireland's longest standing Unicef ambassador, also said Unicef's work on the ground, which he witnessed on a recent trip to Mozambique, was to be commended.
"How they mobilised themselves would put any Hollywood studio to shame," he said. "I came away humbled".
Describing the visit to Mozambique, Neeson said he visited a household of children headed by a 14-year-old girl because all the adults had died from Aids-related illness.
"Nothing prepares you for looking into the eyes of a child...the look in this child's eyes of absolute hopelessness. It chills you to the bone," he said.