One of our supporters, Marilyn Nash from Dublin, hosted a garden party on Bloomsday - 16th June 2011 - with the help of The Carrig Ladies Club and raised the marvellous sum of €300. Pictured here is a beautiful photo of the ladies dressed as Molly Bloom.

Bloomsday is a commemoration observed annually on 16th June in Dublin and elsewhere to celebrate the life of Irish writer, James Joyce, and relive the events in his novel Ulysses, all of which took place on the same day in Dublin in 1904.

18 Ladies (including 2 lady men) took part in the Cork Women's Mini Marathon on Sunday 25 September 2011.

After a very wet night and early morning the day cleared up beautifully just in time for the start of the mini marathon.

Paddy Barrett met the ladies before the start of the 4 mile race and took some lovely photos and thanked them for fundraising for The Donkey Sanctuary.

We had 15 ladies in the Dublin Mini Marathon in June this year as well as participants in the Connemara Marathon, 10K Limerick Run and Cork City Marathon.

We are appealing for runners/walkers/joggers to take part in the up coming Ladies mini marathons.

• Register online for the Tipperary Mini Marathon Sunday 19th September 2010 at 2pm in Thurles.
• Register online for the Evening Echo Mini Marathon Sunday 26th September 2010 at 1pm in Cork city.

Little Aoife and Kate O’Connor visited The Donkey Sanctuary to meet with the colt foal they called Uncle Sam. You may remember, we ran a competition to name this little foal that was born on 4th July 2010.

The O’Connor children were the lucky participants whose chosen name was drawn and now this little fellow is getting to know his new name.

Our appeal to supporters to name a little colt foal who was born here at the Sanctuary on 4th July this year has been very successful and today Paddy Barrett, our PR Manager, has drawn the winning entry.

The winning name given to the little colt is "Uncle Sam" which was chosen by Kate and Aoife O'Connor from Co Kilkenny. The girls will receive a certificate and a colour photograph of "Uncle Sam".

The name is very appropiate since our "Uncle Sam" was born on the 4th July - American Independance Day.

Our Easter Egg Hunt was a big attraction again this year. Here we see Paddy Barrett, our PR Manager, drawing the winning tickets. Also in the photo is Jacinta O’Connor (centre), Fundraising Co-ordinator, and Martha Brennan (right), Visitor Centre Assistant.