Limerick organ donors remembered in moving service

LIMERICK people whose lives have been changed by donors remembered those who gave organs at the 40th annual service of remembrance and thanksgiving for the Irish Kidney Association.

There was a huge crowd in Whitehall in Dublin for the ceremony, which attracted 1,500 people from all over Ireland and abroad.

The annual service gives transplant recipients and their families, as well as donor families, an opportunity to show gratitude for the gift of life they have received, as well as reflecting on, and remembering their own experiences.

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This inclusive ceremony brought together celebrants from various faith traditions and non-religious worldviews, each united in their support for organ donation as the ultimate act of humanity.

People were so moved emotionally during the ceremony, that there were many times that people clapped spontaneously.

During the service of light, members of Transplant Sport Ireland lit candles for the congregation to symbolise the enduring connection between organ donors and those whose lives they transformed.

Families of donors who have passed away were also part of the service, including Mary Keogh, from Caherdavin, mother of deceased donor Sinéad, who was just 41-years-old when she passed away in 2024 donating her kidneys and her heart valves.

Also present at the service was Geraldine Dowling, from Newcastle West, whose twin brother Patrick passed away in 1999 at the age of 31 from a brain haemorrhage.

His kidneys, liver, heart and corneas were donated.

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A letter from President Michael D. Higgins, a patron to the Irish Kidney Association, was also read out by Colin White, the husband of a dialysis patient.

The letter said: “May I extend my support and thanksgiving for the great gift of organ donation, which has transformed and enriched so many lives, allowing new possibilities and new opportunities for recipients and their loved ones.”

The names of deceased organ donors were honoured by entering the names into the Book of Remembrance, which could also be viewed after the service.

IKA chair, Liz O’Sullivan paid tribute to the many families who have given the gift of life through organ donation. She also acknowledged the recent passing a month before of Mark Murphy, former CEO of the IKA, who was instrumental in promoting organ donation for two decades before retiring in 2020. Among those in attendance were his predecessor, Patricia Doherty, the IKA’s first chief executive and one of its founding members, and the association’s current CEO, Carol Moore.

The service was recorded by Kairos Communications for broadcast on RTÉ One, Radio 1 Extra and RTÉ Player on Sunday, November 2 at 11am.

For more information visit www.ika.ie