This November, the Mercy Hospital Foundation has enlisted the help of some of Ireland’s best-known and loved rugby legends to tackle men’s cancer and raise funds for The Mercy Cancer Appeal. On Friday November 9 Ronan O’Gara, Brent Pope, Alan Quinlan, Tony Ward and Donncha O’Callaghan will join pundit and former Irish international, Donal Lenihan for It’s A Man’s Thing, a very special event hosted by the Mercy Hospital Foundation at the Clayton Hotel Silver Springs.
The event will see the experts discuss all things rugby, with a focus on the upcoming Guinness Series Autumn international between Ireland and New Zealand. As well as that, with over 10,000 men diagnosed with cancer each year in Ireland, the Mercy Hospital Foundation hopes this event will have a knock-on effect and will inspire the men of Munster to join them in the fight against cancer as they convert funds raised into state-of-the-art, life-saving equipment and treatment at the Mercy University Hospital.
Micheál Sheridan, CEO at the Mercy University Hospital Foundation, said: “We have a fantastic line-up of panellists for our very first It’s a Man’s Thing event in 10 years, each of whom I’m sure will be a big draw, and will help as we try to raise awareness and funds for men’s cancer. Since our very first It’s A Man’s Thing fundraising event in Cork in 2008, over €500,000 has been raised towards the provision of a Rapid Access Men’s Health Clinic at The Mercy University Hospital. Today, our Men’s Cancer project focuses on providing this Rapid Access Clinic to fast track the diagnosis and treatment of prostate, testicular and penile cancers in men across the Munster region.
“We are also now funding a specialist Psycho-Oncology service that is supporting men dealing with feelings of anger, frustration, fear, depression, as a result of their cancer diagnosis. This year we need to raise a minimum of €50,000 to continue to provide the necessary funding to support the Men’s Health Clinic and to expand our Psycho-Oncology service to meet the ever increasing demands being placed on it.”
Sponsored by O’Leary Insurances and Howley Civils, the evening will kick off with a drinks reception, followed by a delicious three-course meal and Q&A with the players. A fantastic evening is assured, with further entertainment from impersonator Tierney Talks.
Speaking at the official launch of It’s A Man’s Thing, Anthony O’Leary of O’Leary Insurances, said: “O’Leary Insurances is proud to sponsor this upcoming event with some of Ireland’s best loved sporting legends, and we are hopeful that our partnership with the Mercy Hospital Foundation will help promote the need for ongoing awareness of key cancers amongst men in Munster and also raise vital funds.”
Micheal Elliott, Financial Director at Howley Civils, added: “The idea behind this event is to deliver a serious message in a fun way that the men of Munster can relate to, and at Howley Civils we’re pleased to lend our support to the Mercy Hospital Foundation for what promises to be a great evening.”
Tickets are €100 each, €1,000 for a table of 10, or €1,200 for a table of 12. Tickets are now available from the Mercy Hospital Foundation at 021 427 4076 or mercyfundraising.ie.
