Marvellous night for Maria

Maria Jarimba lost everything in the floods and mudslides which swept through the island in February of this year, killing at least 42 people and injuring scores of others.

Maria’s daughter, Ana Corbett, is manager of Kennedy Wolfenden Antiques in Portrush and when her friends in the resort heard what happened to Ana’s mother they decided to help.

Owners of Kennedy Wolfenden Antiques, Sam and Eleanor Wolfenden-Orr, and some friends organised a fundraising dinner in the Water Margin in Coleraine on Friday evening which was a sell-out event.

Friend and organiser Rosemary Armstrong told the Times: “It was a marvellous event which far surpassed anything we could ever have dreamed about.

“We invited a few people to come along and it just went like topsy!

“We completely filled the Water Margin on Friday evening and a had a wonderful meal. We also had an auction and Brendan Quinn from Magherafelt provided the musical entertainment.

“It was a marvellous night and raised almost 12,000 for Maria.

“We would like to thank everyone who attended the evening or who donated money. It was a very emotional night for Ana and while the money won’t be enough to rebuild Maria’s house, it will go some way to making her life more comfortable.”