Ireland’s leading medical response charity, is hosting a unique fundraiser at Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens in Co Cork next month. The inaugural CRITICAL car show combines incredible cars, emergency services, CPR awareness and community engagement.
One of Ireland’s most recognisable motorsport vehicles, Eddie Jordan’s 2001 Formula One car, will be on display at the historic venue on Sunday June 28th.
Škoda Ireland has also joined as main sponsor for the event which will feature supercars, vintage and classic cars as well as emergency response vehicles and demonstrations alongside family entertainment and food vendors.
Visitors will have an opportunity to meet with local Gardai, members of the Fire Service, emergency responders and CRITICAL volunteers working on the frontline in communities across Ireland every day.
CRITICAL charity has a network of more than 300 responders active across Ireland who are alerted to life-threatening emergencies by the National Ambulance Service.
CRITICAL’s volunteers include doctors and consultants equipped with emergency response vehicles and high-tech equipment; Community First Responder (CFR) groups; as well off-duty paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs).
The charity has been in operation since 2009 and in 2019 launched the Irish Community Air Ambulance. The service proved so successful that it is now operated by the HSE. Since 2023, CRITICAL has strengthened its ground-based teams and is now operating in 21 counties.
In 2024 and 2025 alone, CRITICAL volunteers responded to 3,330 serious and life-threatening emergencies.
Edward Walsh, CRITICAL Head of Operations & Standards said, “Having Škoda Ireland as event sponsor is really important to us. Our volunteers are often first at the scene of an emergency and they don’t arrive in ambulances, they arrive in cars. We are incredibly grateful to Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens who are generously providing the venue for our inaugural car show. This event is about bringing the reality of emergency response into the public space in a way people can see, experience and connect with. Every single day across Ireland, CRITICAL responders are helping people during the worst moments of their lives. The support we receive from communities, businesses and the public is what allows us to continue doing that work. The CRITICAL Car Show is about awareness, community and ultimately saving lives.”
Michele Hillenbrand, CRITICAL Community Fundraising Officer added, “The cars will absolutely attract people on the day, but what we really hope people leave with is a greater understanding of emergency response and the importance of those first few critical minutes before an ambulance arrives. We want families to come along, enjoy the day, learn CPR, meet responders, and see first-hand the incredible work being carried out by volunteers across Ireland.”
All proceeds from the event will help CRITICAL continue its work by empowering local communities with the tools and training needed to save lives. As a charity, CRITICAL relies on fundraising to support its existing volunteer responders, but to also continue expanding its network to reach more communities across Ireland, ensuring help is there when it matters most.
No tickets are required for the CRITICAL car show, attendees can make a donation to enter. Car exhibitor entries are still open, to register CLICK HERE.