“The atmosphere was amazing through all areas of the hospital, with heart-warming scenes of residents and their families making memories and enjoying an afternoon of entertainment,” according to Nicola Scanlon Fox, Director of Nursing at St John’s Community Hospital reflecting on the inaugural Wise Roots age-friendly festival held on the grounds of the facility in recent weeks.

Residents, patients, staff, families and friends gathered to enjoy the musical talents of local legends and enjoy the craft stands from creative artists. While organisers were initially considering it as a one-off, the success of the day and the positive feedback has meant they are planning to make it an annual event.

Sligo Age Friendly ambassador, Sandy Kelly, was the headline act. Sandy sang a duet with a resident and a family member and paid a touching tribute to her late mother who was cared for in St John’s Community Hospital many years ago. Sandy told the gathering how “St John’s has a special place in my heart.”  The Sligo-Leitrim Filipino Association Dancers entertained the crowd in colourful costumes with a traditional, and cultural Philippine folk dance. Wrapping up the show, St John’s Community Hospital’s Seamie Cawley performed some classics with a little help from Ruby, a great granddaughter of one of the residents.

The Garden Room hosted an array of stalls, with an art gallery, face painting, hair braiding, cultural cuisines and taster facials. The Kiltimagh pet farm showcased a number of small animals. Crafts and plants created by the St John’s residents were also on sale.

Sligo Rose, Megan McCormack made a special appearance at the former workplace of her grandmother Phil McCormack. Residents, patients and staff all wished Megan the very best of luck as she prepares for her trip to the Dome in Co Kerry this summer.

Outlining how the Wise Roots festival was “months in planning,” Nicola explained how their event committee had been brought together to “ensure a memorable day was organised for all to enjoy. A huge heartfelt thank you to all our musicians and artists and all staff who participated. Staff were rewarded for their hours of planning and organising with remarkable job satisfaction. The feedback from the festival has been extremely positive and the requests for an annual event will now have to be honoured. We are therefore committed to making Wise Roots 2025 another memorable event on the St John’s Community Hospital social calendar.”

Watch residents, staff, families, and friends enjoy the day on YouTube.com