Dillon Quirke Foundation receive massive donation from community trust

The Dillon Quirke Foundation, a Tipperary-based charity raising awareness around Sudden Adult Death Syndrome and funding widespread cardiac screenings for young people involved in sports, has received significant funding from the Ardonagh Community Trust Community Grant.

The grant of £5,000 (€5,815) from the ACT will fund cardiac screenings for 70 young people, helping to reduce the number of young lives being lost to SADS.

Tipperary hurler Dillon Quirke was 24 when he collapsed during a hurling match and died of SADS on August 5 2022 in Semple Stadium.

The Dillon Quirke Foundation was subsequently established by Dillon’s family, who want to prevent others from going through what they experienced, and in the process, save lives.

Dillon’s father, Dan Quirke, accepted the funding on behalf of the Foundation.

Mr Quirke said: "After Dillon passed, we were shocked to learn how many young people die from SADS every year. Better public awareness of the condition and the benefits of cardiac screenings could make a huge difference in this country. We started the Foundation in Dillon’s memory to increase the understanding of the importance of these screenings and to provide free screening opportunities for young people. Our work would be impossible without the help and support of people like Catherine and Dan from Arachas and the ACT Community Grant and it will go a long way towards achieving our goal."

The Ardonagh Group’s independent charity, ACT, supports causes special to Ardonagh colleagues through its Community Grant programme.

The grant provides the opportunity for employees to apply for up to £5,000 towards a chosen charity.

Ardonagh is represented in Ireland by Arachas, the largest nationwide insurance broker in the country.

Catherine Cranley, a member of the Arachas’ Tipperary Town team nominated the Dillon Quirke Foundation for the funding.

Catherine said: "I am a big hurling fan, and this cause has really touched my heart. My nephew comes to the hurling games with me and we were lucky enough to meet Dillon at a game (he was my nephew's favourite player). We all know young people who play sports and if this screening could save a few lives and not put any family through the grief that the Quirke family had to go through it would be brilliant."

Dan Hennessy, Mid-West Regional Director also shared his delight with the news: "We were very happy to hear the news that Catherine had been allocated the funding for the Dillion Quirke Foundation. It is a great initiative that will have a major impact on the local community in Tipperary but also on a wider scale to the next generation of kids and their families across the country who will be screened as a result of the Foundation. It’s extra special for us as Dillion’s father Dan Quirke has been a loyal customer of our office for many years."

SADS takes approximately 100 young lives in Ireland every year and cardiac screenings can help prevent SADS by identifying heart conditions at an early stage before they cause symptoms.

The Foundation is working to raise awareness and save lives through a dedicated cardiac screening programme, delivered by Advanced Medical Services and funded by the Dillon Quirke Foundation, by performing cardiac screening in sports clubs nationwide to reduce the incidence of SADS.