Kidney transplant recipient, Marie O’Connor is Lahinch’s golden girl.
A member of Transplant Team Ireland at the World Transplant Games in Malaga, Spain. Marie mounted the podium to be presented with her gold medal after winning her golfing event at the beautiful Guadalhorce Golf Course.
This was Marie’s second medal of the games as earlier in the week she won bronze in the Petanque.
After her golfing victory an elated Marie told The Clare Champion, “I am just delighted. It was the one sport I would have hoped to get a medal in, so to win a medal in golf is brilliant. This gold medal and every medal I have won is thanks to my donor for giving me this chance. It’s great to keep the banner flag flying”.
Transplant Team Ireland includes four liver and 23 kidney transplant recipients ranging in age from 30 to 79. They are competing against almost 1000 participants from more than 50 countries at what is the largest gathering of transplant recipients this year.
The Irish Kidney Association is responsible for coordinating and managing Transplant Team Ireland’s participation at European and World Transplant Games events.
Prior to heading to the games, the Ambassador of Spain José María Rodríguez-Coso held a reception for members of TransplAnt Team Ireland at his residence in Dublin.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.