Yesterday, Ashford Castle shone a light on pancreatic cancer to mark World Pancreatic Cancer Day, joining others throughout the world in turning purple as part of an important awareness campaign. The 5 in 6 campaign aims to spotlight one of the world’s deadliest cancers, which kills five in every six people diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas.

It’s a stark statistic but one which Ashford Castle’s Niall Rochford hopes will bring home to people the need for greater visibility and understanding of pancreatic cancer and its symptoms. When Niall’s wife Stella was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2022, he could never have imagined the sudden and devastating impact the disease would have on his family. “I want to save as many families as possible from the trauma and devastation we have experienced and that starts with awareness of this deadly disease that ruins so many lives,” said Niall.

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month and Niall Rochford could not have imagined, a little over a year ago, that he would find himself spearheading a campaign to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer. However, perhaps the greatest tribute he can pay his wife, Stella, is to help ensure that others who receive a diagnosis are given the best possible chance of survival through education, advocacy and research. “For me and my family, the 5 in 6 campaign is the start of Stella’s legacy. The more people that know about pancreatic cancer, the better our chances of fighting it,” says Niall.

Niall thanked his industry colleagues who didn’t hesitate in lending their support to the campaign by lighting up their hotels in purple to mark Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day on November 16th: Adare Manor, Cashel Palace, Dromoland Castle, Trump Doonbeg, Killarney Park Hotel, Hayfield Manor, The K Club and The Merrion Hotel.

Visit www.cancer.ie and follow www.instagram.com/pancreaticcancerireland for more information and support.

Visit Ashford Castle’s website