A five-day activity-filled holiday for more than 400 sick children concludes today in Tramore, Co Waterford.
The event, billed as Camp Dreamland, was organised by the Share A Dream Foundation and included a demonstration yesterday by the Air Corps at a "mega-barbecue" held at Tramore racecourse.
The children, many of them suffering terminal or life-threatening illnesses, arrived at the weekend for an event paid for through an intense fundraising effort in Tramore and Waterford city over the past few weeks. Plans were immediately set in place to raise the funds.
"We needed between £25,000 and £30,000 and there has been a huge voluntary effort with table quizzes, coffee mornings, pitch and putt competitions and all kinds of events taking place," said Mr Ben Gavin, the local co-ordinator of the event.
The idea came about, he said, when the founder of Share A Dream, Mr Shay Kinsella, visited Tramore and saw the facilities available.
Sea rescue demonstrations, a performance by the Garda band and motorbike displays also formed part of the entertainment at yesterday's barbecue, held to coincide with National Children's Day.