Fashion items worn by An Irish Goodbye winners at the Oscars to be raffled in aid of Women's Aid NI

Fashion items worn by the stars of An Irish Goodbye at the Oscars ceremony are being offered as prizes in a raffle to raise funds for Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland.

Created by Northern Ireland artist and fashion designer, Sara O’Neill, the items include two pocket squares from her Éadach range as well as a stunning Éadach by Sara O’Neill Children of Lir Moonlight Crepe de Chine Cape as worn by actor, Seamus O’Hara’s wife, Mary Ellen at the Vanity Fair Oscars After Party.

With tickets priced at just £10, it is a rare opportunity to own pieces of art so closely connected to an iconic Irish film.

Proceeds from the raffle will support the work of Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland who have been left to plug a £147,000 hole in their funding, under the Department of Health Core Grant Funding Scheme cuts. This was the only Government funding Women’s Aid Federation NI received.

The raffle was launched at a special event hosted by political and reconciliation director, Laurence Simms at the Irish Secretariat in Belfast, which was attended by both Sara O’Neill and actor Seamus O’Hara who starred as Turlough in the Oscar-winning film.

Seamus said: “My wife, Mary Ellen and I know Sara very well and we have been big fans of her work for a long time, especially as so much of it is inspired by the north coast which is where I am originally from.

“For the Oscars Mary Ellen and I really wanted to do something that celebrated Irish design and we knew Sara’s work would be the perfect match.

“The cape Mary Ellen wore is just a remarkable piece of artwork, and inspired by Irish mythology, the Children of Lir. It really did threaten to be the star of the show at the Oscars, and I know just how proud Mary Ellen was to be able to wear it at such an incredible event.

“I wore a Valentine Parchment Pocket Square and Pin while our director, Ross White wore a scarf and Valentine Square. We wore those pocket squares over our breast, and I have to say both these pieces couldn’t be closer to my heart.

“Now the dust has settled on the Oscars I am thrilled the pieces will be used to support the amazing work of Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland and to help them in any way possible to address the devastating funding cuts.

“The cape in particular, due to its inspiration being drawn from The Children of Lir, the story of children being turned into swans and banished from their home, is very poignant and has a strong synergy with the work of Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland.

“We know when there is domestic violence it has a direct and negative impact on the children in that home and often results in families being broken and children having to move away from their home.”

Sara O’Neill said she is humbled at being able to raffle the pieces in aid of Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland.

She continued: “This has just been the most extraordinary experience, but for me the most important part of the story is that we can now raise funds for Women’s Aid.

“During lockdown we raffled a scarf to raise money for the federation’s vital work and I am delighted to be able to do it once again, albeit on a larger scale and with such wonderful support from Mary Ellen, Seamus and Ross.

“I received so many good vibes and such incredible press coverage off the back of the Oscars, I knew we needed to keep those good vibes going and give back, so I contacted my friend Gemma McMahon at She Sells Sanctuary and here we are.

“The cape is currently the only one in existence as it is part of a collection launching in July in Dublin. Already it has billowed down the catwalk at the RDS in Dublin, swirled around the dancefloor of the Vanity Fair party and starred at the Oscars.

“During challenging times, such as these, people often turn to the arts as a means to escape or to make sense of the world. That is part of our role, which is why creativity can thrive in adversity and troubled times.

“Right now, with no functioning government in Northern Ireland and so many funding cuts, I wanted to do something more tangible, hence the raffle of the pieces worn to the Oscars by the team from An Irish Goodbye

“I’m determined to raise funds for Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland, who like so many organisations are affected by cuts.

“I talk a lot about Northern Ireland and the issues people are facing, but I also want to do something about it in my own small way. For me, it’s important to give back to the place and people that inspire you.”

The raffle is now live on the She Sells Sanctuary Instagram page (she.sellssanctuary) until Wednesday, July 26. The group is a non-profit collective of artists and generous creatives raising money for domestic violence charities across Northern Ireland.

Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland chief executive, Sarah Mason said the chronic lack of funding in Northern Ireland which has been exasperated by the cuts to the Core Grant Funding Scheme is stretching resources to the limit.

She explained: “The situation in Northern Ireland is so serious the PSNI receives a call relating to a domestic abuse incident every 16 minutes while one woman in an abusive relationship is murdered on average every other month here.

“Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland will continue to be a strong voice for women and we will continue to fight for the necessary funding.

“We don’t turn women away when they need us and it’s important that message gets through, but our resources are being stretched to the limit.

“Everyone at Women’s Aid has been moved by the generosity of Sara O’Neill and the team from An Irish Goodbye. The raffle provides a wonderful opportunity to own iconic pieces of Irish Oscar’s history while supporting the very important work we do on a daily basis.”

According to the latest PSNI statistics, in the 12 months from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 there were 32,875 domestic abuse incidents in Northern Ireland. This is the second highest financial year figure recorded since records began.

The number of domestic abuse crimes rose to 22,343, an increase of 679 (3.1%) on the previous 12 months, and the highest financial year figure recorded since 2004/05. Eight policing districts showed an increase in the number of domestic abuse crimes.

To enter the raffle visit the she.sellssanctuary Instagram page or visit the website, www.shesellssanctuary.bigcartel.com. From there you can select the item you want to buy a ticket/tickets for.