Local residents moved by organ donation and transplant attend Irish Kidney Association event

Local Tipperary residents affected by organ donation joined those from across Ireland at the Irish Kidney Association's 39th Remembrance and Thanksgiving Day in Dublin over the weekend.

Approximately 1,600 people attended the annual event, which took place on Saturday 12th October at the Church of the Holy Child in Whitehall, Dublin. Families of deceased organ donors and transplant patients gathered in an interfaith service to express gratitude and respect to their donors.

The service, led by Catholic, Church of Ireland and Muslim stakeholders, is an important annual event for many organ donor families, many of whom make it a priority to attend each year.

Among those in attendance was Mary Adamson, a former teacher from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Mary received a living donor kidney transplant last year as part of the Pair Exchange Program after 15 years on dialysis. Mary had previously received two kidney transplants from deceased donors.

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Another former teacher at Searles, Anne Hackett, also attended. After four years of dialysis treatment, Anne received a kidney transplant from a deceased donor in 2022.

Joanne Gavan, who also donated a kidney from Donohill on behalf of Tipperary, also sat on the organization and liturgy committee for the service.

Medical professionals who work with donors and transplant patients also joined those who gathered for this service.

For those involved, this annual service is a meaningful opportunity to remember loved ones and honor the gift of life that donations have given to others.

Organ donor's family after the service Saw The names of the deceased donor's loved ones were inscribed in the Book of Memoriam, a booklet honoring organ donors.

The service will be recorded and broadcast on RTÉ One at 11am on 17 November.