Meet the other Mrs Brown who’s feeding 600 on Christmas Day!
MARGARET Brown has been giving a very special Christmas gift for 32 years – inviting people living alone to dinner.
And this year, news of her festive gathering has been spreading far and wide, with people living in Spain and the Netherlands wanting to attend.
‘I suppose the Christmas feast is the victim of its own success,’ said Margaret. ‘The numbers we feed seem to grow every year. It’s absolutely wonderful to have people as far afield as Spain and Holland wanting to come along, but I had to turn them down as the demand from people even living in other counties such as Tipperary and Wexford is enormous.’
Mrs Brown, from Sandycove in south Dublin, has been organising the festive feast since 1986 after seeing people at a Scout hall eating lumpy soup and cold meat huddled around a gas heater.
It has now expanded to feeding hundreds at a rugby hall in south Dublin. She said: ‘The Dún Laoghaire Christmas Day Lunch founded in 1986 provides critical support for those at Christmas who would otherwise be by themselves and also for those in most need.
‘We can only cater for 300 people in Blackrock Rugby Club from 10.30am to 2.30pm and we are looking for volunteer drivers to bring people to and from the venue.’
Mrs Brown’s dinners will also be going to Bentley House Homeless services in Monkstown, and members of the Travelling Community.
Altogether, she will be looking after up to 600 people on Christmas Day.
Having worked all over the world in catering and hotel management, and for a long time for Jury’s Hotel Group, the idea of starting the Christmas endeavour came to Mrs Brown as a natural thing to do.
She said: ‘Every year, the 32 years of running the lunch has been enjoyable, but now I’m taking it one year at a time as to how much longer I will organise it. It’s a lot of work but I would miss it if I called it a day totally.’
‘Numbers grow every year’