Tipperary's Sheila Gregan on Irish team for World Transplant Games in Australia

Fourteen Irish transplant recipients, including Tipperary's Sheila Gregan, have travelled to Perth, Australia this week to represent Ireland at the World Transplant Games, which begin this Saturday, April 15 and continue until next Friday, April 21.

This follows a four-year hiatus for the biennial World Transplant Games, as the previous event planned for 2021 had to be cancelled due to the global pandemic.

Messages of goodwill have abounded for the Irish team including words of encouragement from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Australian Ambassador to Ireland Gary Gray, members of the medical profession including Clinical Lead Organ Donation Transplant Ireland Dr Catherine Motherway, and rugby sporting heroes, with lots more good wishes flowing in from the general public. 

Ranging in age from 36 right up to 75, the current Transplant Team Ireland panel of 10 inspirational men and 4 women travelling to Perth for the World Transplant Games have all received organ transplants including two liver, two bone marrow and ten kidney.

Tipperary representative Sheila Gregan, from Nenagh, is a kidney transplant recipient.

The Irish team will be among 1,524 participants from 46 countries, all embracing their gift of life and honoring their donors in this celebration of life through sport.

To find out more about members of Transplant Team Ireland and to follow their progress at the Games, you can follow the team blog; www. transplantteamireland.ie