After an outstanding performance at the 16th World Transplant Games which took place last week in Bangkok, the jubilant Irish team will return home to Dublin airport today (Tuesday) with a record breaking 39 medals.

The official World Transplant Games Song

The 23 Irish athletes, all of whom have had transplants, will receive an exhilarating welcome from family members, friends and supporters when they arrive. The team, boasting 18 new kidneys, 3 new hearts and 2 new livers, are expected to disembark their flight at 7.25 pm (ETIHAD Airlines - flight from Abu Dhabi, ref. EY41).

This has been Ireland’s best ever performance at the biennial event, which ran from Saturday, August 24th until Sunday, September 2nd, and their impressive haul amounted to nine gold, 12 silver and 16 bronze medals.

Never before has an Irish team broken the 30 medal mark but this year they can be proud of their record breaking tally achieved in what is said to be the most competitive World Transplant Games to date and which saw Ireland being placed 10th overall on the medals table.

The Irish team consisted of ten women and 13 men and range in age from 20 to 70.

“I am delighted with the team’s success which will hopefully demonstrate to other transplant recipients that after transplant people can lead full and healthy lives whilst being eternally grateful to their donors for giving them a second chance of life,” said Irish team captain Deirdre Faul.

“The warm hospitality received throughout our time in Thailand is unforgettable and we thoroughly enjoyed building new friendships and the comradeship experienced with transplant recipients from all over the world.”

Team manager, Colin White outlined his additional delight with the announcement last week, while at the World Transplant Games, that Ireland has won its bid to host the European Transplant and Dialysis Games in August 2010.

“It is a major coup for Ireland and hopefully, through Ireland’s hosting of such important Games events together with our team’s exceptional performance at the World Transplant Games that more people will make the decision to carry an organ donor card which should ultimately result in more lives being saved through transplantation,” he said.

The Games, also biennial, are expected to involve at least 21 countries from across Europe with a participation of over 450 athletes who have received organ transplants as well as those who are receiving dialysis treatment.

The Irish team’s involvement at the Games is co-ordinated by the Irish Kidney Association. At this year’s World Transplant Games the athletes competed in golf, tennis, track and field, table tennis, ten-pin bowling, badminton, squash, swimming as well as Petanque, which is a variation on the French game of boules.

The full Irish squad is: Hugo Boyce (Donegal), Garret Campbell (Wicklow), John Cormican (Roscommon), Paul Donohoe (Cavan), Rachel Eagleton (Meath), Monica Finn (Roscommon), Vera Frisby (Waterford), Tony Gartland (Carlow), Tony Gavigan (Meath), James Hannon (Longford), John Loftus (Limerick), Terry Mangan (Dublin), Deirdre Faul (Dublin), Daniel McCarthy (Cork), Peter Morgan (Dublin), Catherine Murphy (Cork), Bridie Nicholson (Sligo), James Nolan (Kildare), Marie O’Connor (Clare), Paul Prendergast (Dublin), Angela Sherlock (Dublin), Jennifer Tuohy (Clare) and Emma Walsh (Kilkenny.)

Team Doctor Emer Kilbride accompanied the team to the World Transplant Games and this year marked her fourth year with an Irish team at an international Games event.

For more information on the World Transplant Games and the successful Irish team visit website www.transplantteamireland.com.   

The next World Transplant Games will be held in 2009 in Queensland, Australia.

For an organ donor card freetext the word ‘DONOR’ to 50050.

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For further information contact:-
Gwen O’Donoghue email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it mob. 086 8241447
Emer Gallagher email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it mob 087 9848463
Liam Horan email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it mob. 087 9185867 (Liam travelled with the Irish team to the Games)