Transplant Team Ireland honoured for Perth heroics

Members of Transplant Team Ireland, including a number of Cork athletes, have been honoured at a special reception after their heroics in Perth.

After their successful exploits and winning 17 medals at the World Transplant Games last month in Perth, Australian Ambassador to Ireland Gary Gray, held a special reception to honour Team Ireland at the Australian Embassy in Dublin.

Among the members of the team attending and proudly wearing their medals from the games in Perth were Cork athletes Hugh Nolan from Doneraile, Mairead O’Mahony from Berrings, and Pat O’Sullivan from Mallow.

“It is important to us because it brings us leadership in our own communities.

“Our current prime minister has a strong Irish background on his mother’s side, and our previous Prime Minister had a strong Irish connection on his wife’s side, and then since 1950 we’ve had three other prime ministers with strong Irish connections, connections into Cork, connections into Galway and connections into Tipperary.

“So we like our Irishness and we like that you came to Perth, you were successful and that you enjoyed yourselves,” Mr Gray said.

Also, to mark the end of Organ Donor Awareness Week the Irish team presented Ambassador Gray with a framed team jersey.

They will now look forward to growing the team for the biennial European Transplant and Dialysis Sports Championships which will be held in Lisbon, Portugal next summer and then in 2025 taking part in the biennial World Games in Dresden, Germany.

Colin White, Transplant Team Ireland manager said: “The 14 transplant recipients on the team that took part in the games in Perth were proud to be among over 1,500 competitors from 46 countries to showcase the success of organ donation made possible by their organ donors.

“We were delighted to be part of the wonderful experience and also to enjoy success in the competition and took home a haul of 17 medals, including seven gold, six silver and four bronze.”

Joining the team at the reception at the Australian Embassy were family members of the athletes, as well as Eddie Flood, the National Honorary Chairman of the Irish Kidney Association, Sean Hosford, the Chief Executive of Health Services Staff Credit Union, sponsors of Transplant Team Ireland’s Team kit, and consultant nephrologist Claire Kennedy, Team doctor.

For organ donor cards visit www.ika.ie.