A huge thank you to everyone who made Daffodil Day an amazing success

March 24 marked the 30th anniversary of Daffodil Day, our annual fundraising campaign aiming to raise almost €3.5 million to invest in life-saving cancer research and provide support and care for people all over Ireland facing cancer in their lives.

An update on Daffodil Day 2017

This year over 3,400 people joined us in the fight against cancer by holding coffee mornings in their homes and workplaces, by ordering boxes of silk daffodil pins to sell in their shops, and by hitting the streets on Friday, March 24 to raise important funds in the fight against cancer.

From Donegal to Kerry, the country was turned yellow as communities, offices, families, and friends came together united against cancer.

So far to date, €3.1 million has been lodged by our amazing fundraisers, with still much more to come in the coming months. If you or someone you know fundraised on Daffodil Day and want to know how to lodge your funds, you can do so online, by calling us on 1850 60 60 60 or by following these instructions to submit your funds at your local bank or via the post.

Daffodil Day enables the Society to continue to provide free services and also fund life-changing research. More and more people are diagnosed with cancer every day and that in turn increases the demand for our services. However, with the support of our loyal and generous supporters, Daffodil Day can make a huge difference to the lives of cancer patients in Ireland.

Stories from Daffodil Day

Across the country thousands of people supported Daffodil Day, each with their own reasons and stories of how they have been affected by cancer.

Joan (right) lost her son to a brain tumour in 1996 and her husband to throat cancer in 2015. Along with her friend Cliona (left), Joan has been a volunteer on Daffodil Day for 21 years.

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Pictured: Daffodil Day volunteers Joan and Cliona

Maureen and Pauline, pictured below selling daffodils and pins on Baggott Street in Dublin, have been volunteering on Daffodil Day for 30 and 20 years, respectively. We can't thank them enough for their support.

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Pictured: Daffodil Day volunteer volunteers Maureen and Pauline

Even former US President Bill Clinton was on hand on Daffodil Day to lend his support. Mr. Clinton was in town for the funeral of former Northern Irish deputy first minister Martin McGuinness and took some time out from his day to support Daffodil Day with a photo op that made headlines around the country.

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Pictured: Former US President Bill Clinton and Irish Cancer Society Research Manager Isabella Bray

77 year-old cancer survivor May Ryan (below) has been volunteering on Daffodil Day since the very beginning.

“There is no comparison with Daffodil Day 30 years ago and what it is now,” she said. “Back then it was a case of selling daffodils to your neighbours and friends and that kind of thing. People would offer you the daffodils out of their gardens. It was all very exciting. The first year I raised the princely sum of €100!”

“When my husband Tom passed away, a lot more of my friends stepped in to help with fundraising and many are still doing it on an organised basis.” May still does the flowers for the Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Day launch and decorates the churches around Dublin.

May, a retired teacher and dressmaker from Templeogue, Co. Dublin has had to beat cancer several times. In 1985 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, then in 2004 she was treated for colon cancer and she has recently been given the all-clear after treatment for liver and bowel cancer. May believes positive thinking is vital in the battle against cancer.

Urging people to support Daffodil Day May points out: “I know our health services sometimes get a bad time but I have to say that I have had absolutely wonderful care. The funding is badly, badly needed. I would like to ask people to support it financially to the best of their ability.”

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Pictured: 30 year Daffodil Day veteran volunteer May Ryan

Brothers Charlie, Joe and Paddy Byrne have been volunteering for 27 years on Daffodil Day at their local shopping centre.

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Pictured: Brothers Charlie, Joe & Paddy Byrne