Irish Heart and Lung Transplant Association

20/08/2026

A great interview highlighting the importance of organ donation. What an amazing surgeon - Lars Nölke with his brilliant team at the Mater Hospital who have made a difference to so many people. Organ Donation saves lives. Please have the conversation with your families about organ donation.

Brian Vaughan, recipient of a double lung transplant; Prof Lars Nolke, Consultant Cardiothoracic and Transplantation Surgeon at Mater and Crumlin Hospitals; Prof Peter Conlon, Clinical Lead at the HSE Organ Donation Transplant Ireland office

22/07/2026

Dáithí has received the gift of a heart transplant. His wait, the longest of any child in the world for a heart transplant, is over.

Dáithí is at the beginning of his recovery. There have already been some big wins for him, but there is still a long road ahead, and we would ask you all to keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Organ donation is the greatest gift anyone can ever give.

We are beyond grateful to Dáithí’s donor and their family for making such a selfless decision at the most difficult time imaginable. Out of respect for them, and for their privacy, we won’t be saying anything more at this stage.

Please keep talking about organ donation. Those conversations save lives.

22/07/2026

Remembering Éamonn on his 20th anniversary with two poems written in the years immediately following his death, but which still resonate so strongly today.

BY MY SHOULDER

Death is but a transition
The mystics say
Suffering makes us strong
Setting the spirit free
The sages say.

Time heals all wounds
Helping us grow
Day by day.

Without you by may
Shoulder guiding me
All the time and wisdom
In the world wouldn’t
Take the pain away.

THANK YOU

Thanks for your life
A life you lived selflessly

Thanks for your love
A love you gave freely

Thanks for your respect
Respect you had naturally

Thanks for your friends
Friends whose loyalty comforts me

Thanks for your light
A light now helping us to see

Thanks for staying near
Near and always close to me

Thank you for still being you.

28/05/2026

Andy, congratulations and best wishes on your 40th Heart Birthday today, 28th May 2026.

This remarkable milestone is a tribute to your strength and resilience, the generosity of your donor, and the exceptional care provided by the surgical and transplant teams at the Mater Hospital. It also reflects the unwavering love and support of your family throughout your journey.

Your story is also a powerful reminder of the importance of organ donation and the life-changing gift it represents. Having the conversation with loved ones about your wishes to become an organ donor is vital, as families play an essential role in supporting those decisions at a difficult time. Through awareness, discussion, and the generosity of donors and their families, many more lives can be transformed and saved.

Wishing you continued health, happiness, and many more milestones to celebrate on this very special occasion.

20/05/2026

20/05/2026

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYb0709EbRk/?igsh=bWdxMDVtYTM0eTdu

29/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17nUJKSEyk/

The number of organ donors this year is down on previous years

29/12/2025

A TOTAL of 202 organ transplants were carried out in 2025, thanks to the selflessness of 68 deceased and 29 living organ donors and their families.