Gaelic football great Alan Brogan has shared his insights into the Dublin team's winning ways with Transplant Team Ireland ahead of the European Championships in Finland.

Showcasing the importance of organ donation, 29 athletes will represent Ireland at the 9th European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships in, Vantaa, Finland in July (10th -17th July).  |

Members of Transplant Team Ireland travelled from the four corners of Ireland to a photocall and motivational talk by the recently retired Dublin footballer and All-Star which was held at ALSAA Sports Complex, Dublin airport last Sunday.

Three Kerry men on the Irish team were gracious and eager to listen to the words of encouragement from the surprise guest speaker and three time All-Ireland winner!

Brogan's swan song before retiring from inter county football was to score the last point at the 2015 All Ireland against Kerry thus cementing Dublin's victory over their old time rivals.

Transplant Team Ireland, which comprises 23 men and 6 women ranging in age from 18 to 78, includes 22 transplant recipients (4 Liver, 17 Kidney, 1 combined Kidney/Pancreas) as well as 7 people who are receiving dialysis treatment.  

Following his motivational talk, Alan Brogan took time to speak to and be photographed with each team member.

He said: "It was a pleasure to spend some time with these great athletes who will represent Ireland in the European Transplant & Dialysis Championships. They are amazing ambassadors for not only their families and friends but for Organ Donorship in general.

"I could sense the strong bond that exists throughout the group and even though every athlete is a winner at the games I'm confident that the Irish athletes have trained and prepared to their personal maximum to ensure they meet their own goals in Finland in July.

"I wish all the members and traveling staff of Transplant Team Ireland the very best of luck and thank them for the opportunity to spend a small amount of time with them today."

At the team gathering, team manager Colin White commented: "The opportunity to take part in events such as the European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships offers people on dialysis and transplant recipients an incentive to keep active and healthy in preparation for competition thus impacting positively on their lifestyle choices throughout the year.

"The 'Yes We Can' attitude of our team members offers encouragement for others on a similar health journey and comfort to donor families who get to see the impact that the Gift of Life can have.

"We have a great mix of experience and newcomers on our team this year and I am looking forward to all the 'little moments' that each will experience throughout the week. Our athletes' personal stories will inspire others within their local communities as well as on a national level and with the support of the media they can promote a strong message - Organ Donation Works!"

The 9th European Transplant & Dialysis Games will be held in Vantaa, Finland from 7th - 18th July and will involve close to 500 participants from 25 countries throughout Europe.

Every athlete at the Games will either have already received a kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas or bone marrow transplant or are on dialysis.

The Irish team includes six newcomers and the most dialysis athletes ever to travel abroad to represent their country. Although the main objective for team members is to embrace life and promote organ donation, some returning team members will also be contesting European titles. 

Keen to build on their medal successes at last year's World Transplant Games in Argentina, Deirdre Faul, Kieran Murray and Peter Heffernan have being training hard in anticipation of the competition in Finland.

Embracing life since his sister Catherine donated a kidney to him 29 years ago is James Nolan, a World champion in both Business and Transplant Sport.

Earlier this month, the fourth generation butcher who runs Nolan's in Kilcullen, secured five gold medals at the World Craft Butchers finals in Frankfurt, Germany where he also received the Outstanding Achievement Award.

A veteran to Transplant Sport, James has also enjoyed great success in European and World Transplant Games' events securing an impressive haul of medals down through the years.

At the 2014 Games he won gold in a Golf event with his kidney transplant teammate Ron Grainger, an Urologist who James attended as a patient and is also on the current Irish team.

Team captain Harry Ward from Baldoyle, Dublin has represented Ireland at numerous international Games events both as a dialysis patient and in more recent years as a transplant recipient thanks to his kidney transplant which he received in 2007.

The youngest member and newcomer to the team is 18 years old Matthew McNieve, a kidney transplant recipient from Mayo.

The oldest member of the team John McAleer from Antrim, who took part in the European Games twice before, first as a dialysis patient four years ago and in 2014 as a kidney transplant. He is embracing life since being called off a golf course to receive a kidney transplant in 2013.

Another team member who represented Ireland at the Games as a transplant recipient, but this year will be participating as a dialysis patient, is Alan Gleeson, from Listowel, Co Kerry who works as a Garda in Dublin.

Another Kerry man participating in the dialysis category and newcomer to the team is Patrick O'Connor, from Killarney, an avid cyclist.

Father of two, Stephen Byrne from Tralee is also looking forward to his first ever European Games having undergone a kidney transplant just a year ago.

Also travelling with the team will be Team Medical Director, Claire Kennedy, from Lucan, Dublin who works in the transplantation department at Beaumont Hospital.

Athletes will compete in their respective age categories in the following events: badminton, tennis, cycling, darts, golf, petanque, swimming, table tennis, ten pin bowling, tennis, mini-marathon, and track and field.

At the previous biennial European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships which were held in Krakow, Poland in 2014, a slightly larger team of 34 inspirational athletes took home an impressive medals haul of 18 Gold, 18 Silver and 31 Bronze medals.

Transplant Team Ireland was ranked in the top three position on the medals table, just behind Hungary which took first place and the host country Poland in second. 

For more information on the European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships and the Irish athletes visit the Irish team blogwww.transplantteamireland.wordpress.com or visit the Games website www.vantaa2016.fi.

The full Irish panel is as follows:

Antrim: John McAleer, Newtownabbey (kidney) (oldest member of the team)

Cork: Mike Keohane, Clonakilty (liver); Charlie Ryan, Cobh (liver)

Clare: Marie O'Connor, Lahinch (kidney)

Donegal: Kieran Murray, Ramelton (kidney)

Galway: Linda Waters, Athenry (dialysis); Zimele Brown, Athenry (dialysis) (a native of New Orleans)

Kerry: Stephen Byrne, Tralee (kidney); Alan Gleeson, Listowel (dialysis); Patrick O'Connor, Killarney (dialysis)

Kildare: James Nolan, Kilcullen (kidney)

Limerick: Richard McEvoy, Limerick city (dialysis)

Mayo: Matthew McNieve, Claremorris (kidney)

Offaly: Edward McAuliffe, Portarlington (kidney)

Sligo: Bridie Nicholson, Sligo town (kidney and pancreas)

Tipperary: Orla Hogan, Nenagh (kidney); and Edward Crowe, Carrick on Suir (kidney)

Westmeath: John Connell, London, formerly from Mullingar (kidney); Finian Farrell, Mullingar (kidney) and Noel Marsden, Athlone (dialysis)

Wicklow: Philip Kavanagh, Arklow (liver)

Dublin: Ron Grainger, Castleknock, D.15 (kidney); Harry Ward, Team Captain, Baldoyle, D.13 (kidney); Paul Prendergast, Santry, D.9 (kidney); Chikoyo White, Balbriggan (dialysis); Peter Heffernan, Skerries (kidney); Michael Dwyer, Cabinteely; Leonard Ryan, Tallaght, D 24 (kidney); and Deirdre Faul, Dalkey (liver)

For an organ donor card Freetext the word DONOR to 50050 or visit website www.ika.ie. It is also possible to download an organ donor card on smartphones by searching for 'Donor ECard'  at the iphone store or android market place. Your wishes to be an organ donor can also be included on the new format driving licence which is represented by Code 115.

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