Following the recent event in Dublin’s 3Arena involving some of the biggest names in comedy, net proceeds of €465,000 have been paid to the Seán Cox Rehabilitation Trust by event organiser Aiken Promotions.
Over 8,000 fans, including Seán Cox and his family, attended the sell-out gig on 10 January to watch an all-star line-up. Alongside John Bishop, comedians Michael McIntyre, Dara Ó Briain, Deirdre O’Kane, Des Bishop, Jason Byrne, Joanne McNally and Tommy Tiernan all took to the stage. One of the highlights of an amazing night was the finale when the entire audience, led by the eight performers, belted out “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.
Commenting on the event, Seán’s wife Martina Cox said:
“That night in the 3Arena was a special one for us all, especially Seán. He is a huge fan of John Bishop and of comedy generally. Seán knew that his comedy heroes along with the 8,000 people in the arena were all there to support him. I haven’t seen Seán laugh like that since the attack, it has done him such good.”.
“On behalf of Seán and I, our children and Seán’s brothers and sisters, we want to offer our most sincere thanks to John Bishop, the comedians who performed on the night, Aiken Promotions, the 3Arena and the many other people and companies who were so generous with their time and services. A phenomenal amount of money was raised through the generosity of so many. We don’t take it for granted and it will be used very carefully to make sure Seán has the medical care and support he needs”.
Comedian John Bishop, who organised the event and has met Seán and the Cox family on a number of occasions since Seán’s attack, added:
“What happened to Seán could have happened to any of us and I have been hugely impressed by the strength and dignity of the Cox family. I just wanted to do something to help and to allow people an opportunity for a good night out, at the same time showing them how much support there is for Seán”.
“The line-up was amazing and everyone was keen to be involved from the moment I called them. The audience in Dublin is always special but that night it was another level. The quality of the show mixed with the genuine goodwill in the room for Seán, Martina and the family made it a night that will live in the memory for a long time”.
Martina Cox spoke of the future of the trust’s fundraising efforts:
Following the hugely successful comedy event in the 3Arena, funds raised for Seán Cox since his attack in 2018 total €2.75 million. A decision has been taken by the Cox family, in conjunction with the Seán Cox Rehabilitation Trust, to wind-down the public fundraising that has taken place over the past 18 months.
Martina Cox said: “We will forever be grateful for how so many people helped make an awful situation so much better than it might otherwise have been for Seán and our family”.
However, she feels that there are many other causes and charities across Ireland and the UK requiring public support at this time and adds that “the people of Ireland, Liverpool, Dunboyne and so many other places took Seán into their hearts and gave so generously. I pray that other families going through very difficult times can experience the same goodwill and love as we have”.
An independent assessment of the costs of Seán’s long-term care, ongoing medical needs and progressive rehabilitative programme estimates that further monies will be required over his lifetime in excess of what has been raised to date. The Cox family would like to acknowledge the support of both Liverpool Football Club and AS Roma in supporting Seán’s plight to date and the respective commitment of both clubs to help Seán into the future.
About Seán Cox
Seán Cox is a 54-year-old husband and father from Dunboyne, Co Meath, who suffered life-changing injuries following an unprovoked attack before the Champions League semi-final between Liverpool FC and AS Roma in Anfield on 24th April 2018. Three Italian men are currently serving jail sentences for what they did to Seán. He spent some months in a coma in Liverpool, before transferring back to hospitals in Ireland.
While Seán requires full-time medical care, is not likely to walk again and finds speech and many other daily tasks very challenging, his family are determined to give Seán the best treatments possible to ensure he can live as normal a life as possible. The Cox family home is currently being adjusted to make it wheelchair accessible and installed with specialist medical equipment; he will also spend several months each year in a specialist rehabilitation centre in the UK to develop his speech and movement. The vast majority of these efforts require private funding and €2.75m has been raised since Seán’s attack for his future care and rehabilitation.
The Seán Cox Trust
An independent trust, the Seán Cox Rehabilitation Trust (the “Seán Cox Trust”), was formally established in 2018 to collect, administer and distribute monies raised for Seán’s future care and rehabilitation. It is overseen by a board of voluntary trustees comprising businessmen Stephen Felle (chair), David Gantly, Kevin McKeon and Paul Noonan.
