Delgany’s Rita Is A Hospice Hero

Rita gets her just award… Pic: Conor McCabe

atest press release from Our Lady’s Hospice, issued on Wednesday, November 5th 2025…

Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services, Harold’s Cross, Blackrock and Wicklow (OLH&CS) has awarded Hospice Hero Community Fundraising Awards to deserving members of the community at a recent ceremony in Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services, Harold’s Cross attended by staff, family and friends.

Now in its fourth year, the awards acknowledge the significant contribution of community fundraising events in supporting OLH&CS’ delivery of vital care across the communities it serves.

OLH&CS is Ireland’s largest provider of palliative care and serves a catchment area of a million people from its bases in Harold’s Cross, Blackrock and Wicklow.

This year’s recipient of the Wicklow Hospice Award is Delgany woman Rita O’Brien.

The award was in recognition of Rita’s incredible work in creating a lasting legacy through the Wicklow Hospice Cup, an annual golf tournament held in Delgany Golf Club each September. Since 2013, Rita and her husband Johnnie have been hosting the Wicklow Hospice Cup, which in that time has become much more than a golf tournament – it’s now a much-loved fixture in the Wicklow Golf Calendar. The annual event is a ‘thank you’ to any golf club who has raised money for Wicklow Hospice.

While the event itself, driven by Rita’s passion and commitment over the past decade, has raised nearly €20,000, it’s the engagement of the wider golfing community in Wicklow that has ensured a real and lasting difference in Wicklow Hospice.

Rita and the O’Brien clan join the party…

Rita says “I was very kindly awarded Hospice Hero for the Wicklow area at a fabulous event held in Harold’s Cross Hospice. I accept this award on behalf of golfers, golf clubs and a very supportive team of friends who raise approximately €40,000 euro per annum to support the excellent work done by the Hospice on behalf of our loved ones.

“I want to thank all the golf clubs for their support, green fees for prizes, etc, and particularly Delgany Golf Club, who have given us the use of their club free of charge since 2013.

“We started with 6 clubs in 2013 and has grown to over 20 clubs taking part over the years at one time or another from Wicklow and surrounds.”

Mary Flanagan, CEO of Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services said: “These awards are a way to recognise very special people in our community who dedicate so much of their own time supporting our work through fundraising and advocacy efforts. As well as our incredible staff, local supporters are the lifeblood of our work and help us continue the work we do across Blackrock, Harold’s Cross and Wicklow.

“We thank all of those who support us in this way, as we rely heavily on donations from the community to support our services and develop our facilities.”