Hopeful: 1. Barry Connolly and Grace Anne Connolly; 2. Rosemary Delaney, Phil Simmons and Liv Morgan; 3. Sinead Harrington and Maura Derrane. (Pix. Bryan McEvoy)
If we don’t have hope what do we have? The annual Hope Foundation luncheon took place at the Four Seasons Dublin to raise funds for the Irish charity that helps vulnerable and exploited street children in Calcutta.
The 200 guests at the lunch hosted by RTE’s Maura Derrane included Founder of Hope and Irish Person on the Year Maureen Forrest along with Mairead Sorenson of Butlers Chocolates, Emer O’Reilly-Hyland, Mary Hannafin and Irish Cricket Cricket Champions Phil Simmons and Roy Torrens. The lunch was a big hit in the style stakes.
The Auction topped the charity polls again this year with unique items from all over the world including a 5 star holiday in Portugal with at a private 3 bedroom poolside villa, a trip by private jet to see Manchester United, a signed Munster jersey, a break at the sumptuous Lough Rynn Castle (where Brian O’Driscoll and Amy Huberman tied the knot), a junior vintage Mercedes-Benz and a host of designer goodies from Chanel, Orla Kiely and Joe Malone.
HOPE is dedicated to working with local Indian help groups to provide rehabilitation projects. The funds raised at his event will finance a shelter in Calcutta for an entire year, every year, so the extra effort from Ireland once again is a gift received with unimaginable gratitude.
