Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's pledge to donate €500,000 to Cancer Trials Ireland has been realised. Eibhlín Mulroe of Cancer Trials Ireland and fundraiser Pat Smullen dropped into the Sheikh's Derrinstown Stud in Maynooth, Co Kildare, recently to receive the cheque from Stephen Collins, General Manager of Derrinstown.

The donation will enhance Cancer Trials Ireland's pancreatic cancer research capability, allowing them to define the genetic sequence of pancreatic cancer patients in Ireland, and to research links between the incidence of the disease here in Ireland and specific genes. They will be able to reach out to leading international pancreatic cancer researchers and bring their work to Ireland.