President Mary McAleese has invited a team of 23 Irish athletes, all of whom have had transplants, to Aras an Uachtarain tomorrow– to personally congratulate them on their record breaking success at the World Transplant Games.

The athletes competed in the 16th World Transplant Games in Bangkok, from August 24th until September 2nd and brought home a haul of 39 medals, the most ever won by an Irish team at the Games.

“We are honoured that President Mc Aleese has asked the team to Aras an Uachtarain. It is a great honour for the Irish team and the Irish Kidney Association that the President will take the time to meet with us. We are delighted that she has recognised the positive message that the Games deliver,” said Colin White, the Irish Team Manager for the World Transplant Games.

Never before has an Irish team broken the 30 medal mark and their impressive haul amounted to eleven gold, 12 silver and 16 bronze medals, which saw Ireland being placed 10th overall on the medals table. A total of 49 countries took part in the Games.

The Irish team consisted of 10 women and 13 men and range in age from 21 to 70.

Irish team captain Deirdre Faul won six medals at the Games. “I am delighted with the team’s success which will demonstrate to other transplant recipients that people can lead full and healthy lives after a transplant,” she said.

“An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern sent a congratulatory to the team upon their return from Bangkok, which was a great boost to us all.”

While at the World Games it was announced that Ireland has won its bid to host the European Transplant and Dialysis Games in August 2010.

Colin White said: "It is a major coup for Ireland and hopefully, through Ireland's hosting of such an important event, together with our team's exceptional performance at the World Transplant Games, more peoplpe will make the decision to carry an organ donor card which should ultimately result in more lives being saved through transplantation."

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.

Listen to the official World Transplant Games Song

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