Sir, - As Honorary President of the Irish Wheelchair Association, I wish to publicly acknowledge the superb generosity of Sean and Bernadine Mulryan, and to thank the entire Ballymore and Punchestown teams for their kind hospitality at the recent Punchestown Festival.

The Irish Wheelchair Association is Ireland’s foremost organisation for people with physical disabilities, supporting some 2,500 people each year with services ranging from transport to sports clubs and from community centres to assisted living.

Regrettably, many IWA members struggle to access venues and events that others take for granted.

For the person in need of that bit of extra assistance these obstacles are frequently insurmountable, furthering alienation and exclusion. I had the opportunity to discuss this unfortunate fact with Mr and Mrs Mulryan in February.

Rather than simply nodding and moving on with what must be a very busy schedule, a commitment was made to host a group of wheelchair users in a warm and comfortable setting at the races at an appropriate future date.

True to their word, it was with great excitement that a large group of individuals from a range of backgrounds were hosted in the Pavilion, overlooking the final fence, on Ballymore day at last week’s Punchestown Festival.

Many of those present arrived by IWA transport, and it was like a scene from the D-Day landings as 47 wheelchairs descended, together with various personal assistants and family!

I’m pleased to say that the guest list included service users from all sorts of backgrounds. Some were there as a small reward for the hard work they have done contributing to the success of the IWA in their local communities in recent years. However, others were there because it was a rare opportunity to enjoy a treat so often impossibly out of reach. As if to prove the point, this included Edel Carey, a visually impaired wheelchair user who had never been racing before but had long had it on her ‘bucket list’.

Conor O’Neill and the Punchestown team, including Sue Wilson and Natasha Graham, went out of their way to ensure that every last detail was thought through.

On top of this, the guests enjoyed a pre-lunch talk through the card with Brian Gleeson - a man with more than a few commitments that day. Everybody went above and beyond to make it a really special event.

All of this being said, the highest praise is due to Sean and Bernadine Mulryan and their Ballymore team. Not only was a generous promise followed through, but touchingly Mr and Mrs Mulryan made time to welcome each guest personally. It was more than a gesture, but a heartfelt and genuine display of empathy.

No recognition or regard was sought by any of those who made this event possible, but it was so graciously given that I am honour bound to publicly thank the Mulryans, the Ballymore team and all at Punchestown for their thoughtful generosity.

It was a marvellous occasion and all those present extend their heartfelt thanks. - Yours etc.,

Jonathan W. O’Grady

Honorary President

Irish Wheelchair Association