HE is usually talking up his pop acts. But 'X Factor' judge Louis Walsh was praising "three exceptional individuals" for their work on behalf of charity and children at the Variety Humanitarian Awards Gala Ceremony at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin last night.
Derek O'Neill, a charity worker from the Liberties turned international humanitarian and philanthropist, and Dr Finn Breathnach, a consultant paediatric oncologist and humanitarian, were among the recipients of humanitarian awards.
But it was the third humanitarian honoured -- MCD director, charity fundraiser and Childline organiser Caroline Downey-Desmond -- with whom Mr Walsh has had a long association.
"All three recipients are well deserving of this award. I'm delighted Caroline is being honoured because our friendship goes back to 1981 when she was working in Captain America's and we went to the very first Slane together to watch U2 and Thin Lizzy. She met her husband Denis (Desmond, of MCD) at it.
"I've often joked that MCD stands for 'Miss Caroline Desmond'," Louis Walsh told the Irish Independent.
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