At the culmination of another action-packed week of racing and related festivities in Galway this week, the fifth annual Race Ball, the black tie extravaganza held every year during Galway Race Week, was a huge success on last week in the Radisson SAS Hotel Galway.
This year’s gala ball, sponsored by the Morricom Group with associate sponsors the Sporting Emporium and Independent Newspapers Day & Night, was one of the best yet featuring Grainne Seoige as MC, Nick Leeson, ex-Barings Bank, in charge of breaking the bank for the charity auction, Paddy Cole providing the music and a number of surprise musical and other guests to entertain the 750 strong guest-list until the not so early hours.
Guests this year were treated to a delicious Jacob's Creek bubbly reception and had the opportunity to win a fantastic prize of a luxurious trip for 2 to Las Vegas courtesy of US Airways and the Luxor Hotel among a spectacular list of auction items and prizes.
The 750 strong guest list comprises many people from the racing world alongside many more regular attendees at the Galway Races with a passing interest in racing. This year attending the ball were jockeys Berry Geraghty, Ross Geraghty and Paul Carberry, multi-millionaire businessman J.P. McManus, Dermot and Mark Weld, Sky News' Grainne Seoige and husband Stephen Callanan, TV3 presenter Alan Hughes, Paul Collins of Today FM, comedian Tommy Tiernan and CEO of Morricom Group, John Cox.
The voluntary organising committee comprises a number of people with various ties to Galway and the Races including Henry Cleary of Barclays Bank, Rachel Naughton of AIB, Miriam Kelly of A&L Goodbody, Joe Mitchell of Intel, Leo Casey of IBI Corporate Finance and Catherine O'Grady of Irish Distillers.
The fabulous event raised in excess of €100,000 for a number of charities including Cancer Care West, Life Pregnancy Care Galway, The Simon Community and Cricklewood Homeless Concern.
