Ellie’s dad was diagnosed after seeing a doctor over a ‘urinary tract infection’
18:32, 12 Sep 2026Updated 19:44, 12 Sep 2026
Ellie as a child with her dad Grant
A Cork tattoo studio will be giving people new ink and piercings to fund cancer research after one of their staff tragically lost her father to the disease.
The one-day-only event will take place at Cork’s first women-led tattoo collective, the Ink Collective, in Ballintemple on Thursday 24th September, 11am-5pm. Attendees can choose from a range of tatts (visible in the Instagram post here) designed to show their connection to a special loved one. The studio is also offering piercings on the day, two for €50.
And while it might be called a ‘Daddy-Daughter’ sale – you can bring anyone you want with you on the day. It’s all being organised by Cork woman Ellie Christie, who hopes to raise as much as she can for charity in memory of her late father, who sadly passed away from cancer in 2022.
Speaking to Cork Beo, Ellie said her dad Grant was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015 after seeing a doctor over what he thought was a urinary tract infection (UIT). He used to work as a manager in The Shard building in London, and throughout his cancer journey, his daughter said he “never let his condition get to him.”
Ellie said: “He literally did every treatment ever, everything new he tried. A lot of radiotherapy, a lot of chemotherapy. There was one Christmas he was really ill and had to stay in hospital, but thankfully made it out before Christmas day. He never let it get to him, kept working until the last few months. He was as normal, would never complain or anything.”
Grant Christie – RIP
Grant sadly passed away when Ellie was only 19 years old, and she said that her father’s diagnosis caught her entire family off guard. Both of Ellie’s grandfathers were also diagnosed with the condition. One of them sadly passed away from the disease, and the other had to get his leg amputated to stop the cancer from spreading.
Ellie chose to raise money for Breakthrough Cancer Research to fund work on earlier detection and the discovery of new, effective treatments.
The Cork woman also wants her event to help raise awareness of cancer and encourage people to be vigilant about symptoms and get tested if they have any concerns. This is even more important for those with a history of cancer in their families.
“I just wanted it to be like a specific cancer thing. A lot of my family members have had cancer and passed from it as well… It happened to him so suddenly and he had no prior knowledge of it being a possibilty,” she said.
If you don’t want to get a new tattoo or piercing – but still want to support Ellie and The Ink Collective – you can do so by donating online here, or by giving at collection buckets at the studio on Thursday 24th September.