It's the second year in a row the club has received a donation from the Oscar winner.

A charity appeal run by Ireland's biggest book club has once again received a €5,000 donation from Hollywood A-lister Russell Crowe. The Rick O'Shea Book Club is running its fifth annual Christmas appeal this year and had set a target goal of €25,000, with proceeds to be split equally between the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) and The Peter McVerry Trust. In a statement on social media earlier this week, RTÉ broadcaster Rick O'Shea - who runs the online book club - said the appeal had a "minor miracle" this time around thanks to the Gladiator star's latest donation. "Thank you to the legendary Russell Crowe for the most bafflingly brilliant support of the Rick O'Shea Book Club Xmas Appeal, again," he wrote. "I had thought we wouldn't make 25k this year, now we are over €30,000 and counting. "That's €190,000 raised over the five years." Along with €5,000 donation, Crowe left the message: "All the best for Christmas." The actor first donated to the club last year after O'Shea jokingly appealed on Twitter for "any super-rich followers" to contribute to the appeal. In a follow-up post after Crowe's original €5,000 donation, O'Shea said: "I have no words. Really. Thank you, you kind, wonderful man Russell Crowe. "I now owe you all the pints..." The book club's latest appeal remains open until the first Monday in January, with people able to donate at this link. Meanwhile, Crowe was recently in Ireland to film a new movie - a horror blockbuster titled The Pope's Exorcist.