London Irish Vintage Day reached £1 million in funds raised since it launched in 2011 with its latest annual event that took place at Tir Chonaill Gaels GAA Grounds in Greenford in September.
The event continued to be blessed by the weather as it was another beautiful day that saw Derek Ryan return to headline the day’s entertainment.
There was also entertainment from London- Irish band Hungry Grass, Johnny McGovern, Slim Attraction and former Lord of the Dance star and Donegal Rose, Niamh Shevlin.
The traditional stage saw performances from Three Fold, Lucky Plucker, Raggle Taggle and London Irish Music School. There was also poetry, a Big Band Ceili with the Brendan the Navigator Set Dances and dancing displays from Cara Gael and Scoil Rince Rochford.
Founder and organiser Brendan Vaughan told The Irish World: “It was a fabulous day and we had a fabulous crowd here as well. Fabulous.
“Great atmosphere. Just the same as if you were at a festival back at home.
“I’m stuck for words because it just went so well with a nice, friendly family crowd.
“We’ve had some support today as well.
“We had unbelievable help and just can’t thank the people enough for helping us.
“There’s just far too many to even mention who has helped us out.
“People don’t realise how much help we do get.
“It costs a fair amount to run the day. Without the help we do get, we couldn’t afford to run this day.”
Brendan also paid credit to the committee that have helped brings funds raised to the milestone figure.
“It is a million raised but we have a good committee.
“And without the committee, you cannot do this.
“I never thought when it started, it would build to this.
“At this time of year, I always think of Tony McGovern. I miss Tony so much especially at this time of the year.
“He supported the Vintage Day.
“2011 we started it and it’s got bigger and bigger and it’s so good.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet that we’ve raised a million and some of the charities who have raised money for down through the years.
“One that comes to mind is the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, a fabulous charity.
“And then we got St Luke’s hospice.
“That was the first charity we ever raised.
“£32,000 we give them in 2011.”
What is next?
“Just keep it going now.
“That’s all we can do.
“You can see everybody enjoyed themselves.
“Everybody that I spoke to had a fabulous day and enjoyed it.
“That’s what it’s about, not one little bit of trouble.
“The committee are excellent and I thank them very much for their help and their support.”
Derek Ryan was making his second appearance at London Irish Vintage Day and will be welcome back again.
“There is no question about it: We’ll have him back here because he’s a fabulous entertainer.”
Derek Ryan told The Irish World: “It’s great.
“We played here a couple of years ago and it was a massive day and great weather as well.
“It’s the same again today.”
It was good for Derek to return as he used to play the pubs in London and even around Greenford.
“I lived here for seven years altogether and played in a lot of pubs just around the corner from here really so it’s always a bit surreal to come back and play to big crowds.
“I remember playing in pubs when there was no one listening to me really.
“I always feel very much at home here in London as well and I always look forward to getting back here.
“It’s always nice to be back.
“There was a lot of great memories of playing in pubs and great nights we had.
“I always say you learn your craft as well.
“You’ll soon be told what you’re doing wrong and what you’re doing right and it’s all part of the process really.
“These things don’t happen overnight. They’re generally better if they don’t happen overnight and you work for them.
“But it’s always nice to come back and play big shows.
“We played Trafalgar Square a couple of years ago for St Patrick’s Day, played here a few years ago and we’re back here again so it’s fantastic.”
On returning to Greenford Derek said: “I always meet someone that I know or knows someone that I know.
“It’s one of those places and has just a really nice vibe.
“It’s like a family day and a great selection of vintage as well, and food and drink and dancing and music. What more do you want?”
Asked if he’ll be back for a third time Derek says: “We would love to come back.
“Of course we would.
“Obviously the committee need to mix it up every now and again to keep it fresh but anytime they want us back, we’re open to coming back.
“It’s a fantastic day to be part of and it raises lots of money as well for different charities.
“They hit the million mark and it’s great to be part of it.”
This year’s beneficiary charities are St Luke’s Hospice, Stamp Out Suicide, HCPT and Air Ambulance Northern Ireland.
Kate Gammell, community fundraiser with St Luke’s, said: “It’s brilliant to be here today.
“We feel privileged as a local charity to be chosen once again by the vintage team.
“We’re really grateful to be here and it’s great to be seen by the local community. We rely on the community heavily for donations.
“And it’s not all about the money as well.
“It’s about awareness for us so just being here talking to people, letting them know what a hospice is so then if people ever need a hospice, they won’t be afraid or they’ll have a bit more knowledge of what we do.”
However many people are familiar with the great work St Luke’s does.
“Sadly most people that talk to us have been connected to a hospice somehow so it’s nice to have those conversations with people and hear their stories as well.”
Colm Farrell told The Irish World: “I’m here on behalf of Stamp Out Suicide.
“We’re a charity based in Warrington but we cover the whole country and we provide free counselling to anybody that’s living with suicidal thoughts. Our contact number is 07766808222.
“A lot of people don’t really feel comfortable picking up the phone and ringing but they can also text us.
“To be here today is absolutely brilliant.
“This is my second year here.
“Luckily for us, we’re one of the four beneficiaries this year and I’d like to thank the London Irish Vintage Club for supporting our charity this year and obviously for everybody that comes here to support us as well.”
Although there is greater awareness around mental health, a stigma remains.
“The thing about it is suicide is actually the most preventable of all deaths so I would say to anybody, ‘If you’re concerned for somebody, don’t be afraid to ask them if they’re having suicidal thoughts’.
“It’s just a simple question, Have you thought about suicide?
“And if that person is suicidal, they will actually tell you the truth.
“Research shows that nine out of ten people, if they’re asked the question will tell you they are.
“I know you might be concerned, ‘Well, what do I do next?’
“Well just sit down with them, listen to them and chat to them and try and get them to go and seek professional help.
“And that’s where we come in.
“Also, they could contact their GP but just make sure they go and get help from somewhere because once you start that process of getting help, it becomes a lot easier.”
Ireland has a high rate of suicide. Asked if it is cultural, Colm says: “It’s actually very much a man thing more so than a cultural thing.
“Men have this thing that, ‘I can’t be seen to show weakness’.
“But it’s not weakness.
“Don’t be afraid because there’s nothing to be ashamed of.
“And trust me, once you start the process of counselling, things will get better. I can guarantee you that.”
Stamp Out Suicide was established in 2015.
“We’re ten years this year and thankfully we’ve been able to help a lot of people, and that’s the most important thing.
“As long as we can, we’ll keep doing it. Nothing will stop us.”
James Teague, Group leader for HCPT Group 144, said: “We’re so grateful to the London Irish Vintage Club for having us here.
“We bring disabled and disadvantaged young people on a pilgrimage to Lourdes and it’s really a life changing event for them.
“Some of them are coming from deprived backgrounds or they’ve got some sort of disability which means they couldn’t do that sort of trip.
“We fundraise the money.
“All the costs are paid for them and the helpers throughout the year train themselves to make sure we can look after them and offer them this life changing week.
“It’s a privilege to be part of a charity, and so fantastic to be here being supported so well.
“I understand the organisation is going to hit a million this year.
“Being part of that story, the club does amazing work. The people involved are incredible.
“We’re really honoured to be part of that experience, and really looking forward to an amazing day.”
Hannah Babe, Volunteer and Community Ambasssador for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland, said: “We are just absolutely delighted to be here today to represent the charity and spread some awareness for them.”
The air ambulance is a life saver is remote areas of Northern Ireland.
“Especially in rural areas where accidents can happen, particularly farming accidents, road traffic collisions, falls from height, work accidents, any accidents that can happen.
“If they’re in rural areas, it could be just a little bit more difficult for normal ambulance to get to it so therefore, the air ambulance is a much easier method of transportation for those patients.”
Asked if she is always hearing about people saved by the service Hannah said: “I’m actually one.
“I was a patient of the air ambulance in 2020.
“I was involved in road traffic collision in a rural area.
“Just about a mile from my house or so, I was involved in a road traffic collision with a lorry and the air ambulance was tasked out.
“The air ambulance was absolutely phenomenal that day.
“They worked alongside the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, the police department and the fire brigade.
“Together they all worked to get me out of my car which was a wreck at that time and then the air ambulance were able to provide me with pre-hospital care at the side of the road, anything that I needed at all.
“Anything that I needed, they were able to provide me at the side of the road and then their quick transportation to the hospital, from my house to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, which is where the helicopter pad is- It is about an hour’s drive, I was there within just under 20 minutes’ flight time which is amazing and only for that quick transportation and their quick response, they are more than likely the reason that I am still alive here today.”
This experience made Hannah want to give back..
“They are the reason I’m here today.
“I just decided, ‘You know what? What better way to help give back than to actually help them raise the funds they need to possibly save another patient who could be in the same boat that I was in?’”
Donegal Rose and Irish dancer Niamh Shevlin said: “I’m delighted to be here.
“Donegal have such a big representation here in London.
“You see all the Donegal tops roaming around and everybody going past is giving me a wave because they see the Donegal rose.
“It’s nice to be representing that too.”
Niamh displayed her dancing on both stages including directly before Derek Ryan’s performance.
“I don’t do as much dancing as I used to anymore now, I’m a primary school teacher so it’s nice to get the dancing shoes out for something like this again.
“I actually was lucky enough to get the lead role in Lord of the Dance so that would be something I would be very proud of myself.
“It gave me the confidence to do something like this on my own.
“If you said to me when I was a teenager, ‘Would you get up and dance on the stage on your own?’ I wouldn’t have done anything without my brother.”
On being Donegal Rose Niamh said: “It’s been amazing to get to do things like this.
“It’s something that you probably never would get the opportunity to do otherwise so it’s fantastic.
“There’s lots of opportunities that come after that actual week in Tralee so I’m absolutely delighted to do it and to be able to do all these things for two years is even better.”
London Rose Shauna Sammon, who represented London in Tralee, was also in attendance.
London Rose Shauna Sammon told The Irish World: “It’s lovely to be there today.
“It’s great to be back with the London Irish community after the busyness of Tralee.
“I’ve had a great but busy few weeks, but back to reality now.”
It was Shauna’s first engagement since Tralee.
“Obviously coming from Westport, I got a lot of support from people there but when you come back to London, it’s nice.”
Asked if the Tralee experience was all she hoped for Shauna said: “It was yeah.
“Oh my god it was busy.
“It was full on but it was everything I’d hoped for and more.
“I met so many wonderful girls and people along the way, had so much support along the way so it was brilliant.”
