Head entertainer Geraldine Allen was the hostess of the night, alongside master chef Peter Houston and his boss Joanne Houston. David and Ann Connors and Conor and Susan O’Shea were chief entertainers but the star of the night was young Kate Derwin, who is not only a superb rider but also a beautiful singer.

Barra Sweetman (also known as Arab Sweetman) produced the fresh salads and fruit, while Susan O’Shea organised the annual treasure hunt for the children who subsequently donated their winnings to the Jack & Jill Foundation.

The evening raised the fantastic sum of €4,750 euro for nursing Jack & Jill babies in their own homes all over Ireland. The foundation provides direct funding to families of children with brain damage up to the age of four who suffer severe intellectual and physical developmental delay, enabling them to purchase home respite care. The money raised last weekend is enough to provide 287 nursing hours for these children.

Meanwhile, some fantastic items have been unveiled for the Silent Auction to take place at the Horse Show Ball in aid of the Jack & Jill Foundation in the Four Seasons Hotel, Ballsbridge on August 8th.

Among them are a ‘Dubai Package’ that includes two return tickets to Dubai on Emirates Airlines, a two-night stay in the luxury Burj Al Arab hotel and a three-night stay in the Madinat Jumeirah Resort.