Kildare men who received kidney transplants to compete in European Championships in Finland

Two Kildare athletes will travel as part of Transplant Team Ireland to the European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships in Vantaa, Finland which will take place from 10th - 17th June. Both men received living donor kidney transplants from a sister.

Included on the team are kidney transplant recipients James Nolan from Kilcullen and Edward McAuliffe, a native of Kill. James Nolan, is embracing life since his sister Catherine donated a kidney to him 29 years ago, James is a World champion in both Business and Transplant Sport. Earlier this month, the fourth generation butcher who runs Nolan’s in Kilcullen, secured five Gold Medals at the World Craft Butchers finals in Frankfurt, Germany where he also received the Outstanding Achievement Award.

A veteran to Transplant Sport, James has also enjoyed great success in European and World Transplant Games' events securing an impressive haul of medals down through the years. At the 2014 Games he won gold in a Golf event with his kidney transplant teammate Ron Grainger, an Urologist who James attended as a patient and is also on the current Irish Team. In July James is hoping for further success at the forthcoming games when he competes in Track and Field events and Golf.

This will be his second time for Kill native Edward McAuliffe to compete at the Championships. Also the recipient of a living donor kidney transplant, his sister donated a kidney to him in December 2008. Edward also participated two years ago in the Championships when they were held in Krakow, Poland in 2014 where he secured a Gold medal in a Golf event and a Bronze medal in Petanque.  He is hoping for success again in these sporting events at the forthcoming games in the 40-50 year age category. He will also be competing in a Darts singles event and will be part of a doubles team in the 10 Pin Bowling event.