WHAT a night it was. Saturday May 21st, Ballinlough Castle, Westmeath, home to Goffs’ Nick Nugent, his wife Alice and their daughters Lucy and Lara was the glorious venue for ‘A Night For Katie’ to commemorate the anniversary (delayed by two Covid years) of the couple’s daughter Katie who died from leukaemia when she was six.

In 2011, the Katie Nugent fund was established in order to provide psychological and emotional support for the children and their families on St John’s Ward in Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

Five hundred people sat down to dinner on the May evening at 7.30pm in a beautifully flower-filled marquee and enjoyed salmon, beef, roasted vegetables, sweet potato tagine, chocolate truffle torte and sticky toffee pudding with a pecan sauce, all provided by Catherine Pringle catering.

Professor Luke O’Neill led the band. Mundy was a guest as was Steve Wall from The Stunning. Nick’s mother Pepe Nugent looked superb and Charlie Appleby danced the night away fresh from training the Irish 2000 Guineas winner Native Trail.

Prizes

Amazing prizes were offered for the auction and Sunflower Draw as part of the fund raising, along with generous donations: tickets to Big House festivals, a holiday in a house in the Bahamas, a trip to Royal Ascot, a visit to Henry de Bromhead and Michael Owen’s yards, a six-magnum case of Margaux, art work donated by renowned artists and a rugby coaching session from Leinster Rugby’s James Tracy among many others.

Nick and Alice were delighted of course and deeply grateful for the help and support for ‘A Night for Katie’. Alice commented: “It is a great legacy of Katie’s short life that we have been motivated to do something to benefit other families faciing the same challenge that we encountered when Katie was diagnosed in June 2009.” Although the final tally is not yet complete, the evening and its associated donations will have raised over €250,000 for the Katie Nugent Fund, well in excess of the most optimistic projection. www.childrenshealth.ie

AN important date for your diary, Monday, June 27th (non-racing day), is that of the Pat Smullen Golf Classic in aid of the Drogheda Memorial Fund (IHRB) at Killeen Castle, Dunsany, Co Meath. The Drogheda Memorial Fund was set up for the permanent or temporary relief of trainers and riders who might find themselves, due to circumstances beyond their control, in need of some assistance.

It’s €1,000 per team of four (Stableford) (includes dinner), or sponsor a tee box for €150. Shot-gun start 1.30pm.

For more information or to book a team, please contact: Donal O’Shea 045-445600 / donal.oshea@ihrb.ie or Marianne Waters 045-445605 / marianne.waters@ihrb.ie.

Or please contact a DMF committee member: Michael Grassick 087-2588770, Jimmy Lenehan 087-6973000, David Power 087 2412311, Caroline Fitzpatrick 087 2759031, Caroline Corballis 086 0873355.