Bandon sisters act raises money for Marymount and Cancer Connect
A West Cork musician says music was her saviour when she was stranded on a cruise ship for 10 weeks as the pandemic hit in March. Now she’s back home and, with her family, is fundraising for charity.
Ella Ryan, from Knockaveale near Bandon, is so grateful for the support she got during her cruise ship ordeal earlier this year, that she has joined her two talented sisters in a unique venture to help raise money for Marymount Hospice and Cancer Connect.
Ella, (31), was working on board the Sea Princess cruise ship as an entertainer when Covid-19 hit in March.
The qualified secondary school teacher has travelled the world, playing guitar and singing on cruise ships since 2016.
Very quickly, cruise line companies were turned away from ports all around the world, which led to Ella being stranded on the ship for 10 long weeks and not getting to touch dry land until May 21st in the Philippines.
‘It was definitely the biggest mental challenge of my life to date,’ said Ella.
She passed her days by going to the gym, playing her precious music, doing yoga, and even colouring!
The three sisters have continued to perform every Thursday evening since from the garden patio or shed, inviting other local musicians to join them.
Just recently, they decided to set up an iDonate page to raise funds through their performances for Marymount Hospice and Cancer Connect.
Ella said: ‘I’ve been volunteering as a driver with Cancer Connect over the last couple of weeks and I think it’s such a wonderful service to be able to provide for people who need it most, that we felt it appropriate to donate to them. And, as we know, the people at Marymount do such wonderful work that we felt strongly about raising funds for them also.’
They smashed their initial target of €1,000 in less than 24 hours, and are now aiming for €2,000.
The three sisters are continuing with the Facebook Live shows every Thursday for the rest of August. See the gigs on Ella’s Facebook page ‘Ella Ryan Music’.
Click to donate to Bandon Sisters Fundraiser on iDonate.
The Southern Star – 23 August 2020
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