Irish Heart and Lung Transplant Association

IHLTA Organ Donation Awareness Day

In honour of European Organ Donation Awareness Day 2018, the IHLTA will be staging our own day in the Mater Hospital on Friday October 12, 2018.

We will have information stands situated at the Eccles Street door to the hospital as well as in the corridor near the NCR entrance. As such, we would ask members who might be interested in manning the stands for a time to contact us.

To register your interest, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it stipulating your preferred time.
Thanks as always.

Please pop by and say hello should you happen to be in the hospital on the day.

HEART TRANSPLANT FATHER TO RAISE ORGAN DONOR AWARENESS WITH 212 KM CYCLE FROM DUBLIN TO GALWAY

To celebrate his life giving heart transplant and raise awareness for organ donation Dubliner Ken Mulkerrins, will cycle 212 kilometers across Ireland from his Dublin home tomorrow morning (Friday 17th August) to the symbolic Circle of Life Garden in Salthill, Galway, the national commemorative garden for organ donors.

The 39 year old father of two and former Irish Kayaking Champion will depart tomorrow (17th August) at 8am from his Lucan home in Oldbridge Park and will make an overnight stopover in Ballinasloe (from 5pm approx) before resuming his journey on Saturday morning (18th August) to the Circle of Life Garden in Salthill where he expects to be greeted by family, friends and supporters as well as Denis and Martina Goggin, whose brainchild was to develop the symbolic Circle of Life garden to honour organ donors including their late son Eamonn who passed away in 2006 when he was just 26 years old.

Following his transplant in 2016 Ken achieved his goal of completing his first 5km run, just six months after a call for his life saving transplant. Determined to embrace his second chance of life and honour his deceased donor. Ken's own brother-in-law underwent a kidney transplant before Ken himself learned that he would also require a transplant, a heart. You can follow Ken's event on his Facebook page 'Powered by the Gift of Life" .

Annual Visit to Circle of Life Garden

You are all invited to join the IH&LTA on our next visit to The Circle of Life Garden this September the 8/9/2018

We are looking forward to meeting up with Denis and Martina Goggin once again and be further educated and inspired by the history and the effort involved in creating this beautiful memorial garden and place of incredible calm, spirituality and serenity, on the seafront in Salthill but far from the noise and day to day activity of a busy seaside resort.

We hope to gather for 2.00pm and conclude about 3.00 or 3.30 where we will retire to the Galway Bay Hotel for finger food.

Can anyone who intends travelling let me know by either indicating on Facebook, or texting 087-6878763 or by mailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
This is just to ensure we have sufficient refreshments on order.

Golf Outing - Wednesday September 26

Play golf? The IHLTA will be hosting a golf outing at Tullamore Golf Club on Wednesday September 26, 2018.

The day tees off at 11am with €20 green fees applying per player.

All welcome.

Please send expressions of interest to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Another Successful Transplant Games

Heart and Lung Transplant Team Ireland have arrived home from the 17^th European Heart and Lung Transplant Championships held in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy on the 11th to 16th of June 2018

Photos and Videos are available on the Gallery tab of the website.

https://www.lignano2018-ehltc.org/index.php/en/

Heart and Lung Transplant Team Ireland had a combined travelling party of 19 - (9 athletes and 10 supporters).

Athletes: 5 Lung Transplant Recipients, 4 Heart Transplant Recipients

5 of the 9 athletes were competing for the first time in the European Heart and Lung Transplant Championships.

Championships were most enjoyable and successful and the Irish Team secured 7 Gold Medals, 9 Silver and 6 Bronze.

Ernesto Antonio a Heart Transplant Recipient from Galway won the European Heart and Lung Transplant Federation Perpetual Cup for best Male Athlete of the Championships.

It was wonderful to be in Italy to remember and honour the memory of our donors at the closing Circle of Life Ceremony.

Time now to plan and train for the 18h European Heart and Lung Transplant Championships to be held in Spain during June 2020 in Victoria- Gasteiz, Capital City of the Basque Autonomous Community.

Robert Mc Cutcheon

Team Manager

Heart and Lung Transplant Team Ireland

Transplant Games 2018

Pictures are now available on our Facebook page of some of our members and supporters who recently returned from the hugely successful European Heart and Lung Transplant Games in Lignano, Italy.

Particular recognition must go to long-term participant Ernesto Antonio who was awarded athlete of the tournament! A fantastic achievement.

In recent days, photos and videos from last week have been published on the Games website.
You can find them on www.lignano2018-ehltc.org in the GALLERY menu.
And on the EHLTC Facebook page www.facebook.com/EHLTC