That’s exactly why he donated £1 million to help establish Daisy Lodge, a therapeutic short-break centre in Newcastle, County Down, for children with cancer and their families. Ten years after opening, Daisy Lodge had provided more than 4,000 therapeutic short breaks, helping families spend time together away from the demands of hospital appointments and cancer treatment. Rory McIlroy loves to win. The Northern Irish golfer has four major titles, and he has never pretended otherwise. But his idea of winning goes beyond the golf course. For McIlroy, success also means making a difference in the lives of others. The centre, which started as a place of support for families facing difficult times, has now grown into something much bigger.
The Cancer Fund for Children opened the lodge in 2014. In the ten years since its opening, the charity says more than 4,000 families have come for a short break. In 2025, the centre supported 962 individual families and received 293 new family referrals, according to its year-end report. Unfortunately, 83 people supported by the charity died from cancer last year.
“521 families availed of a short break at Daisy Lodge Newcastle,” Peter O’Brien, the chairperson, said in a statement. “We are continuing to offer bereavement support to their families as they come to terms with their grief. ” What’s unique about the centre? It’s not a hospital. Families come here for a short break. The centre arranges meals and organises workshops, while therapies are also part of every stay. But nobody is taking a blood test in the lounge. These include parents with a child undergoing treatment, parents who have just received a diagnosis and families grieving the loss of a child.
Over the decade, the lodge has celebrated 280 birthdays, held 7,950 therapeutic workshops and offered 8,925 complementary therapies, according to the charity. The kitchen team has also baked 82,000 pieces of Daisy Lodge shortbread! Another parent described how the short break brought so much joy to their child’s life. “It was good for my daughter to talk to someone outside the family and be able to speak about her worries and thoughts. It has helped her deal with her emotions and worries and what she feels inside. She is back to being the happy child we had before cancer made an appearance in our lives. It may not seem exciting to everyone. But for a family in the middle of treatment, a baking class or a massage can be the first hour in weeks that feels ordinary.