Donegal organ donor families take part in national event honouring organ donors

Maria Gallagher and Eilis Carlin from Cloghan Donegal on the steps of Mullingar Cathedral for the IKA Service of Remembrance & Thanksgiving

More than 1,200 people from all over Ireland converged in the Midlands town of Mullingar for the Irish Kidney Association 38^th Annual Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving.

The service, which honours organ donors and celebrates their gift of life to others, was held at the Cathedral of Christ the King, on Saturday, October 14.

Fiona and Michael Kerrigan from Muff, Donegal holding a photo of their late son who became an organ donor following his death earlier this year.

For many donor families this unique service has become an anniversary to both remember their loved ones, and for transplant recipients, the opportunity to honour and give thanks for the wonderful ‘gift of life’ they have received.

During the special service music and song, by Mullingar Choral Society and Uilleann piper Aoife Nally, were interspersed between poignant symbolic processions and meaningful scripture, reflections and expressions of gratitude, selflessness and faith in humanity.

Following the service, organ donor families viewed the name of their deceased donor loved one inscribed in the Book of Remembrance, a roll of honour for organ donors.

From Donegal Aidan McGarry, Geraldine Clare, Fiona and Michael Kerrigan, parents of deceased organ donor Cormac who passed away earlier this year with friend Paul McGill.

Taking part in symbolic processional and reading roles were courageous families of deceased organ donors, living kidney and liver donors and grateful transplant recipients of heart, lungs, liver, kidney, and pancreas.

Éilis Carlin from Cloghan, Donegal, whose son Tony passed away in 2019 and Michael Kerrigan from Muff, Donegal whose son Cormac died earlier this year attended the service.

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