As we move further into the new year, the time has come to start thinking of this summer's Transplant Games. We have plenty of shirts to fill, not just in terms of participants but also with regard to our valuable supporters!

The 16th European Heart and Lung Transplant Championships will be held in the city of Vantaa, Finland from Monday 11th July to Friday 15thJuly 2016.    

The Games are for all heart, lung and heart-lung transplant recipients.     The sports are Volleyball, badminton, tennis, table tennis, cycling, petanque (Boules), swimming, golf, cross-country running and athletics.

The host country’s chosen sporting event is 10 pin bowling. 

Athletes are divided into different age groups i.e. 5-17, 18-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+

Final costings for both participants and supporters will be known by January 2016.  Registration costs including accommodation will be approx €580 – not including flights.   This price does however cover accommodation including most meals and travel to and from the games etc   The Association is at present reviewing group flight options to Finland. 

All registration must be processed through the team manager as each country must register as a group.

Our team will travel as HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANT TEAM IRELAND

The Chairman of the European Heart and Lung Transplant Federation is one of our own members and former Chairman of the IHLTA, Brendan Gilligan.  To find out more about the Games, please contact Team Manager Robert McCutcheon on 0872214753 or email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For more information on featured events, please see articles relating to previous Games on this website. Full details are available on http://www.vantaa2016.fi/en/games/ehltc

Our Christmas newsletter has been printed and we envisage mailing it this week. A pivotal part of keeping in touch with our members, it contains information relating to events over the past six months and tentative plans for activities in 2016.

Please note that our Christmas Cards will be available in the Mater Hospital (Transplant Unit, Level 7, Whitty Wing) and on request from Committee members in the lead up to the holiday season. All funds raised through this effort will go directly to the IHLTA. The provision of assistance to our members is extremely important to us, and especially difficult given that we are an entirely self-funded entity recieving absolutely no government support. The cards also contain a message exhalting one of the key merits of organ donation, that being 'one organ donor can save the lives of up to seven people' - a message printed on the back of each card.

Due to constraints beyond our control, the Mater Hospital is not in a position to provide us with contact information for transplant recipients. As such, if you're interested in hearing more from us in future and discovering the work we do, please email your details to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or any Committee member.

For further info, please see our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ihlta

THE Irish Heart and Lung Transplant Association are extremely pleased to mark the very generous cheque we  received this week from Drumalee GAA Club, Co. Cavan. At a recent Kangaroo Boxing event, Drumalee held a raffle with the proceeds going to the Association. The result of their efforts was a sum of €1,158, something which will greatly help us in assisting our members and in the task of raising organ donation awareness. We would like to sincerely thank all involved.

For more information on fundraising events, please see the Activities section of this website or visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/IHLTA/

Pictured below (L-R) are: Brendan Donoghue, Tommy Sexton, Stephen Smith (club member and transplant recipient), Paddy O’Mahony (IHLTA Chairman), Finbar Donoghue and Pauric Dempsey.

The 16th European Heart and Lung Transplant Championships will be held in the city of Vantaa, Finland from Monday 11th July to Friday 15thJuly 2016.    

The Games are for all heart, lung and heart-lung transplant recipients.     The sports are Volleyball, badminton, tennis, table tennis, cycling, petanque (Boules), swimming, golf, cross-country running and athletics.

The host country’s chosen sporting event is 10 pin bowling. 

Athletes are divided into different age groups i.e. 5-17, 18-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+

Final costings for both participants and supporters will be known by January 2016.  Registration costs including accommodation will be approx €580 – not including flights.   This price does however cover accommodation including most meals and travel to and from the games etc   The Association is at present reviewing group flight options to Finland.    Supporters, family and friends are more than welcome to come along.   

All registration must be processed through the team manager as each country must register as a group.

Our team will travel as HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANT TEAM IRELAND

We would love to bring our biggest team yet to Finland in 2016.   The Chairman of the European Heart and Lung Transplant Federation is one of our own members and former Chairman of the IHLTA, Brendan Gilligan.     To find out more about the Games you can contact Team Manager Robert McCutcheon on 0872214753 or email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For more information on featured events, please see articles relating to previous Games on this website. Full details are available on http://www.vantaa2016.fi/en/games/ehltc