300-strong crowd attend fundraising night for talented Wexford hair stylist who died in Thailand

Gifted hair stylist John passed away suddenly in Thailand in early September. His family received tremendous support from the Kevin Bell Trust in repatriating his body home.

John had salons in Kenmare, Graiguenamanagh and Fethard on Sea, providing training for a generation of budding hair stylists in those localities.

Saturday was a night of high entertainment in St Mullins, with many musicians taking to the stage. For many the highlight was an amazing performance from Green Road who played to the packed venue.

More than €7,000 was raised on the evening and with some pledges still to be realised the final figure to be presented to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust .is expected to exceed €8,000.

John’s sister Yvonne on behalf of the family said: “We are so grateful to all the people who attended, and for the many memories of John that we shared on the evening. The generosity in giving to the worthy cause was amazing and the amount raised exceeded our wildest expectations.”

She said a big thank you to Blanchfield’s for providing the venue and the complimentary food, and to Green Road for providing the star attraction. “And a big thank you to all the other musicians and a special thank you to Martin Codd for providing all the sound equipment and for mixing the sound. Our pro bono auctioneer Ann Carton did a great job in getting the most for the items she auctioned, and a big thank you to the local businesses and individuals who sponsored items. Many of John’s old friends dug deep on the night under Ann Carton’s persuasive hammer.”