Last night I had the great pleasure of attending the People Of The Year Awards. Armed with waterproof mascara and my ‘posh frock’, Mr H and I dropped the children off to the babysitters and headed to Dublin.
I was lucky enough to attend last year too, so when the invite arrived I knew I was going to be in for a wonderful night.
The event is black-tie, a dress code I love, there is something magical I think about an evening of old world glamour with sweeping evening gowns and stylish tuxedos.
Here I am about to leave our room in the City West Hotel!
We walked the pristine white carpet alongside celebrities and non celebrities, all mixing with each other with ease, smiling for the paparazzi. We arrived at the same time as Fiona Doyle, who looked stunning in an emerald green gown.
Here is Mr H and I having our photograph taken.
Following the champagne reception we were led to our table and we had a really beautiful meal. Ever wondered what one eats at an awards show? Well here you go!
Then Grainne Seoige arrived on stage and asked us all to be kind to the award winners, making sure we gave them plenty of applause. However, there was really no need to do this because the feeling of warmth and goodwill in the room was palpable. We all felt, even before the first word was spoken, that we were in the prescence of some extraordinary people.
Grainne looked incredible, even more beautiful in person if that is possible! She hosted the awards show with such professionalism and style, putting all of the winners at ease with such warmth and grace.
The winners of the night were :-
Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Fabien Lugandu, Joe Prendergast, Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, Irish Women’s Rugby Team, Donal Walsh, Fiona Doyle, Orla O’Sullivan, Ciaran Finn, Tom Arnold and Brendan O’Carroll.
If you didn’t watch the show last night, I highly recommend you watch it on RTEplayer.
Every single winner deserving so much more than their awards, as they all have such extraordinary lives.
There were moments during the show when the room was in shocked silence, as we were all rendered speechless by the story we heard, moments where laughter rocked the room and then often, moments where we all gulped back tears as our hearts broke.
While every story touched me deeply, there are a few special moments I’d like to highlight.
Joe Prendergast is an engaging and clever young 10 year old author and I am now a huge fan. When he spoke so eloquently about how he just wanted his Dad back, I wanted to scoop him into my arms there and then.
Joe, I will be buying your book this week -The Great Fragola Brothers.
And I’m thinking I might go bouncing on our trampoline too and see what stories pop into my head!
Fiona Doyle has a smile that lights up a room and we were all captivated by her bravery. One sentence she said last night will stay with me forever. When she spoke about the abuse she endured, she said. “The pain doesn’t last just for the 20 minutes of the actual abuse, it lasts a lifetime.” I know that Fiona is helping victims all over the world by bravely speaking out. Incredible.
Donal Walsh came into our lives when he appeared on Brendan O’Connors show. As Brendan shared last night, Donal was in a state of grace on that show, as he knew his time left was short. His parents were so dignified as they accepted the award on their sons behalf. The pain of their loss etched onto their faces, impossible to miss, but despite this they are continuing their sons legacy – that of teaching young people the true value of life.
When Adrian Donohoe’s wife walked onto the stage last night to accept his posthumous award, the room swelled with emotion. I don’t believe a single person there was not affected by the quiet dignity that she displayed as she spoke to Grainne. How she found the strength I’ll never know. I looked at my husband during the video clip talking about Adrian and with tears pouring down my face prayed that I would never find myself in her shoes.
Every person on that stage last night inspired me and made me want to be a better person, to do more, to make a difference. And isn’t that what life is all about? Inspiring each other and teaching each other how to do better.
Thank you Rehab for another wonderful evening, one I’ll never forget.
