Category: News

Save the date for next year’s event – Saturday April 4th 2020

If your interested in tickets for next year’s event, please email smcgregor@bciresearch.ie.

Battle of the Stars proudly supported by The Joe Duffy Group

The great, the good and the glamorous were out in force in Dublin’s Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road for Battle of the Stars supported by the Joe Duffy Group on Saturday evening. MC’d by TV and radio personality Baz Ashmawy, a stellar line up of celebrities, breast cancer survivors and supporters danced and lip-synced their socks off to raise funds to support Breast Cancer Ireland’s ongoing research and awareness efforts nationwide. Fair City actor, Ryan Andrews took the top prize in the dance competition with his partner Ellen Fitzpatrick, who works in the mammography department in Beaumont Hospital with their fast-paced and on point Charleston. Broadcaster Jenny Buckley was elegance and style personified as she won the lip sync competition with a scene from LaLa Land alongside breast cancer survivors Emma Cassidy and Denise Ashe and members of the Showtime Theatre School.

Head judge on the night was Dancing with the Stars Julian Benson who, along with broadcasters Elaine Crowley and Lisa Cannon, as well as First Dates Ireland maître d’ Mateo Saina expertly commentated on each of the performances and entertained an audience of over 500 guests which included Breast Cancer Ireland Ambassador Robbie Henshaw

Model Kerri Nicole Blanc and her dance partner Chris Foley opened the show with a sensual rendition of the classic Dirty Dancing Time of Your Life track, followed by a sassy salsa from current Miss Ireland, Aoife O Sullivan and her partner James Deegan. Editor and presenter Sybil Mulcahy and her partner Alex King followed with an elegant American Smooth and former Mayo All Star, Dermot Flanagan was next with a a sultry Tango with his partner Natasha Maher. Sponsors Cornmaket supported their fabulous employees Jessica Govan and Leroy Maluzi in the Paso Doble and Cha Cha with their respective partners Karl Harrison and Michelle Laycock.

Sadly, Lisa Cannon’s husband and former welsh rugby union player Richard Keatley had to pull out due to an injury but he was replaced at the last minute by another rugby player, James Hurley, son of CEO Aisling Hurley who brought the house down with a fabulous Jazz routine, perfected in just five days! Mr Ireland Wayne Walsh was next dancing a contemporary Showdance with dance partner, Leanne Downey. Breast cancer survivor, 98FM reporter and The Good Glow podcast’s Georgie Crawford returned following her win last year with a perky Quickstep with Gavin Costello.  Celebrity stylist Stephen Kelly and Ricky McTernan teamed up for a stylish and sassy jazz routine and another of Aislings children Megan Hurley wowed the crowd alongside her dance partner Paul Tyrell coming in second for their Street Commercial dance.  Limerick TD knocked it out with a lip sync to Eminem with members of Showtime Theatre School and social media star James Patrice and his troupe of lip-syncers and dancers closed the show with an energetic and resplendent routine from Hairspray.

Aisling Hurley, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland commented, “It was a fabulous evening of entertainment and great performances and I am so appreciative of everyone who helped us make this annual event happen once again, from our loyal sponsors to our amazing supporters but most importantly I would like to thank our brave breast cancer survivors who inspire me every day to continue to raise funds to support the pioneering research going on in our labs and to increase awareness of good breast health in Ireland”.

Thank you to all the amazing women who chose to support Breast Cancer Ireland in this year’s Women’s Mini Marathon which took place on Sunday June 2nd 2019. Your fundraising efforts helped to support our on-going awareness and education programmes along with our collaborative research initiatives in each of the eight designated cancer centres in Ireland.

Next year’s Women’s Mini Marathon takes place on Sunday May 31st 2020. For more information, please click on the following website https://www.vhiwomensminimarathon.ie/

Almost 10,000 men, women and children took part in the 9^th annual Great Pink Run with Glanbia this year raising over €600,000 to support Breast Cancer Ireland’s metastatic research programmes and their education and awareness initiatives nationwide.

Dublin’s Phoenix Park turned pink on Saturday 19^th October and then the following day, Sunday 20^th October, the pink movement traveled to Kilkenny Castle Park where the event was supported by Aut Even Hospital. This emotive series kicked off on Saturday October 5^th in Chicago’s Diversey Harbor when sporting legend and Great Pink Run Patron, Sonia O’Sullivan led out the inaugural Chicago run.

Virgin Media broadcaster and Breast Cancer Ireland Ambassador, Elaine Crowley lead out the Dublin run along with social media and TV personality James Patrice, his mother Veronica Butler, Fair City actor, Dave O’Sullivan and former international rugby player and pundit Shane Byrne.

All three locations featured a 10k challenge as well as a 5K fun run with a live DJ, motivational music and face-painting and participants were encouraged to “pink it up” in support of those impacted by breast cancer.

Commenting on the 9^th year of the Great Pink Run, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland, Aisling Hurley says, “We are delighted with the success of the Great Pink Run series, which has now raised over 2 million euro, to fund pioneering research and awareness programmes that are certainly changing the landscape of this disease into the future.”  

Between 30-50% of all cancer cases are preventable according to the World Health Organisation which claims that regular physical activity and the maintenance of a healthy body weight, along with a healthy diet, can considerably reduce cancer risk.

Michael Patten, Group HR and Corporate Affairs Director of Glanbia plc. comments, “Good nutrition and fitness are widely recognized as helping to protect against cancer and support overall health and wellbeing. We are very proud, once again to be involved with this fantastic event that supports the pioneering research work of Breast Cancer Ireland.  Many of our employees and their families have been taking part in the events in Chicago, Dublin and Kilkenny and we are looking forward to continuing this association into the future”. 

 Margaret Swords, CEO of Aut Even Hospital, Kilkenny adds, “This cause is so close to home for everybody with so many thousands hit directly or indirectly by a breast cancer diagnosis. Aut Even is proud to be associated with the event once again”.

Breast Cancer Ireland aims to transform the landscape of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment through ongoing pioneering research that will ultimately transform this disease from often being fatal into a long-term treatable illness.

Registration for this year’s Great Pink Run is now open, please click on the link below.

REGISTER HERE

Almost 10,000 men, women and children took part in the 9^th annual Great Pink Run with Glanbia this year raising over €600,000 to support Breast Cancer Ireland’s metastatic research programmes and their education and awareness initiatives nationwide.

Dublin’s Phoenix Park turned pink on Saturday 19^th October and then the following day, Sunday 20^th October, the pink movement traveled to Kilkenny Castle Park where the event was supported by Aut Even Hospital. This emotive series kicked off on Saturday October 5^th in Chicago’s Diversey Harbor when sporting legend and Great Pink Run Patron, Sonia O’Sullivan led out the inaugural Chicago run.

Kilkenny Hurling Manager, Brian Cody, dietician and TV personality, Aoife Hearne and Newstalk Breakfast’s Kieran Cuddihy lead out the Kilkenny run, where they were joined by thousands of women and their families who have been impacted by the disease.

All three locations featured a 10k challenge as well as a 5K fun run with a live DJ, motivational music and face-painting and participants were encouraged to “pink it up” in support of those impacted by breast cancer.

Commenting on the 9^th year of the Great Pink Run, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland, Aisling Hurley says, “We are delighted with the success of the Great Pink Run series, which has now raised over 2 million euro, to fund pioneering research and awareness programmes that are certainly changing the landscape of this disease into the future.”  

Between 30-50% of all cancer cases are preventable according to the World Health Organisation which claims that regular physical activity and the maintenance of a healthy body weight, along with a healthy diet, can considerably reduce cancer risk.

Michael Patten, Group HR and Corporate Affairs Director of Glanbia plc. comments, “Good nutrition and fitness are widely recognized as helping to protect against cancer and support overall health and wellbeing. We are very proud, once again to be involved with this fantastic event that supports the pioneering research work of Breast Cancer Ireland.  Many of our employees and their families have been taking part in the events in Chicago, Dublin and Kilkenny and we are looking forward to continuing this association into the future”. 

 Margaret Swords, CEO of Aut Even Hospital, Kilkenny adds, “This cause is so close to home for everybody with so many thousands hit directly or indirectly by a breast cancer diagnosis. Aut Even is proud to be associated with the event once again”.

Breast Cancer Ireland aims to transform the landscape of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment through ongoing pioneering research that will ultimately transform this disease from often being fatal into a long-term treatable illness.

Registration for this year’s event is now open, please click on the link below.

REGISTER HERE