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6th December 2025
12:21pm GMT
Back in 2020, Saoírse Ruane captured the nation's hearts when she appeared on The Late Late Toy Show, and this year's edition paid special tribute to her.
Saoírse was just eight years old when she appeared on the show, and her story inspired the Toy Show appeal, which has since raised millions for children across the country, with this year’s show bringing in an impressive €4,003,179.
Saoírse sadly passed away from cancer in 2024, aged just 12 years old.
When this year's show kicked off, some viewers noticed what looked like a special tribute to Saoirse.
The star atop the Christmas tree read: "Saoírse's Star."
The Late Late Show shared a photo of the star on their social media, captioning it: "Saoírse's star, forever shining bright."
Saoirse's star, forever shining bright 🌟 #LateLateToyShow pic.twitter.com/QxANtcCtrs
— The Late Late Toy Show (@RTELateLateShow) December 5, 2025
People were quick to fill the comment section with heartfelt messages.
One person wrote: "Lit candles today for Saoírse and her family, what an incredible legacy to leave here on Earth," with another sharing: "Always remembered in Irish hearts. The brightest shining light."
Her passing sent heartbreak throughout the country, and in February of this year, her mother Roseanna shared a video of Farrah Rose, Saoírse's younger sister, running around Saoírse's grave, captioning the post: "The bond that can’t be broken. One of the hardest things about losing Saoírse is watching Farrah Rose (her best friend and little sister) wake up missing her every morning and go to bed missing her every night.
"Sitting at the table on her own for breakfast before school when all she ever wanted was to be going to school with Saoírse."
