Liam Neeson makes appearance at New York fundraiser for NI charity

Neeson pictured in New York at a fundraising event for The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust (Photo: Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust/Facebook)

Actor Liam Neeson made an appearance at a fundraising event in New York City for an NI charity which helps families return the bodies of loved ones back home.

On Sunday, the Emerald Guild of New York held a fundraiser for the The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, donating $20,000 to aid the charity’s work.

In photos shared on social media, the Michael Collins star who was born in Ballymena is pictured alongside the group’s President Mickey McCreesh with Keith Quinn and Keith Scally.

The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust was founded by the parents of Kevin Bell, who was killed in a hit-and-run collision in New York. The charity helps repatriate the bodies of people from Northern Ireland who have died abroad.

The group handles over 100 repatriations a year.

Writing on social media, they said: “A big thank you to great supporters of the Trust, the Emerald Guild of New York, especially their President Mickey McCreesh (Forkhill) Keith Quinn (Mayobridge) and Keith Scally – the organisers of the fundraiser – for yet another $20,000 donation.

“A special mention to Liam Neeson who very kindly made the effort to attend the presentation.”

Neeson’s support for the group comes after he recently helped launch a new online self-help resource that aims to transform the landscape of mental health and wellbeing support in Northern Ireland.

In a short video posted last month, the actor encouraged those in Northern Ireland who need support with any aspect of their wellbeing – whether that be physical or mental – to take that first step by visiting findhelpni.com.

The free online platform connects individuals with the right support at the right time, tapping into local community organisations and services, whilst providing tools and inspiring content to help manage their own wellbeing.