Daffodil Day collections in shops this year

The annual Daffodil Day street collection for the Irish Cancer Society has again been cancelled due to the Covid situation, writes Brian Byrne.

Trish Dowling is asking people to donate as usual by buying silk daffodils in the local shops where they are available. "The shops at our usual locations have generously taken the boxes into their premises," she says.

Daffodil Day originated in Canada six decades ago. The Canadian Cancer Society began using the daffodil in the 1950s. Representing the first flower of spring, it has proven an iconic symbol of hope and cancer research and awareness since, and has become the logo of cancer societies around the world.

The first Irish Daffodil Day was organised by Professor Austin Darragh, founder of the Irish Cancer Society, and then CEO Tom Hudson in 1988. The day quickly became an annual March tradition.

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