LIMERICK’S first ever charity wedding fair will be staged at the Clarion Hotel on Sunday November 24 in aid of Clare’s Wish Foundation.
The event incorporates a fashion show by the Hillary Thompson modelling agency and will feature more than 30 stands, all of which will pledge a small amount for the charity.
There will be stands for bridal wear, men’s wear, limousine hire, florists, photographers, wedding cakes, video booths and hair and make-up, among others.
This landmark event is also a major step for Clare’s Wish Foundation, which was launched last month at Thomond Park by founder Kevin Clancy. He set up the charity to honour his late sister Clare, who was born with spina bifida and died at the young age of 24.
The foundation grants wishes for people with life-threatening illnesses and, before her death, Clare’s dream of meeting her idol Red Hurley came true. Kevin explained that the singer has kept in touch with the family since then, even going as far as turning up as a surprise guest at the charity’s launch night.
Kevin said: “Red came down from Dublin for the launch and he sang on the night without any backup. He has said that he might do a gig for us next year with his band and he has been great.
“It came as a major surprise that he turned up and, even though he had said he would come down to Limerick some time, I was shocked to see him. That was a massive thing for us.”
He added that he came up with the idea of a wedding fair due to his previous work as a limousine driver, a job in which he gained numerous contacts within the wedding industry.
The Clarion Hotel has offered a room for free for the event on November 24, with the charity wedding fair taking place from noon to 5pm.
