Join Sybil Mulcahy in Celebrating Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning

Raise a Cup in Support of your Local Hospice Today

Thursday 19th September 2013:People in workplaces, homes and local organisations all across Ireland today will raise a coffee cupin support of Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of Hospice. This is the 21st year of Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning and over the past two decades, people have consumed more than 15 million cups of Bewley’s coffee, raising an estimated €30 million for hospice care services in their locality.

However, as exceptional as that effort has been, the need is still great. The financial support garnered from Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning is critical to develop, and also to simply maintain, local hospice care services around the country currently.

This morning Sybil Mulcahy of TV3 will join Veronica Campbell of Bewley’s and Jean McKiernan of the Irish Hospice Foundation to celebrate Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning at Bewley’s Café Grafton Street. Bewley’s, Ireland’s leading coffee company, is the long standing supporter of Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning, providing complimentary Bewley’s fresh ground coffee packs to all coffee morning hosts.

Speaking about the fundraising initiative, Jean McKiernan, Chairperson of the Irish Hospice Foundation explains, “Today there is a total of nine hospice inpatients unit in the country, which is a threefold increase over the past 20 years. However, Hospice services are facing ever increasing demands on their services. According to our population there should be 450 hospice beds in this country, but there are only 155 currently available. It is estimated that up to 13,000 patients will require access to hospice and specialist palliative care in 2016 so we we need to continue to make access to these services a priority. Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning is one of the few all island hospice fundraising events and is a source of vital income for us and the services we provide. I would ask everyone to support us in any way they can today - don’t forget, every cup helps! ”

Carol Geary Marketing Manager of long term sponsor Bewley’s said: “Hospice care is about ensuring the best possible quality of life for people throughout our communities. Fundraising is essential to ensure these vital services are maintained and developed in line with the needs of communities across Ireland. Bewley’s is privileged and delighted to be involved once more for the 21st year. Every cup of our coffee consumed on behalf of Hospice will contribute to making a difference to someone’s quality of life andwe want as many people as possible to take part all over Ireland.We provide Bewley’s fresh ground coffee free of charge to all coffee morning hosts so the more cups of Bewley’s coffee that people enjoythe greater the benefit that will be achieved for hospices and communities all over Ireland.”

Sybil Mulcahy said, “The best thing about Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning is that it’s great fun, it’s so easy to organise, and yet the funds raised have such an impact in caring for people in our communities. So get together with your friends, neighbours, family or work colleagues today and support your local hospice”

To celebrate 21 years of Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning, Bewley’s commissioned a specially designed head piece incorporating sunflowers and coffee beans. The hand painted sunflower detail on the head piece is made from silk and felt with the centre made up of coffee beans.

Anyone can host a coffee morning and Bewley’s provides the fresh ground coffee free of charge. Registration advice and details on how to get your special complimentary Bewley’s fresh ground coffee pack can be obtained by contacting your local hospice group or by calling the Irish Hospice Foundation on (01) 679 3188. People can register to host a coffee morning on

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Note to Editors

Bewley’s is a stalwart supporter of Hospice and has provided comprehensive support for this key fundraising event every year. We very cordially request that Bewley’s would be identified in any articles arising as the sponsor of Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Petrina Grehan, MKC Communications, 01 703 8616 / 086 1251 386

Cian Connaughton, MKC Communications 01 703 8611 / 087 648 0809

Caroline Lynch, The Irish Hospice Foundation. 087 123 75 86 or