Kildare Transplant Stars glean tips from GAA All-Star Alan Brogan ahead of Euro Championships

Twenty nine athletes will represent Ireland at the 9th European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships in, Vantaa, Finland in July. Amongst the Irish team is James Nolan from Kilcullen and Edward McAuliffe, a former native of Kill, now resident in Co Offaly.

James and Edward were amongst the Irish Transplant Team who travelled to meet GAA All Star and member of Dublin All Ireland football champions, Alan Brogan. And non better than Alan Brogan to give tips and fitness techniques to the aspiring transplant athletes at ALSAA Sports Complex, Dublin.

Competition is no stranger to James, the former REHAB Kildare Person of the Year who embraced life since his sister Catherine donated a kidney to him 29 years ago.  James is photographed above with his wife Emma, All Star Brogan and James's son Andrew.

The Kilcullen man is 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 enjoyed great success in European and World Transplant Games' events including at the 2014 Games when he won gold in a Golf event with his kidney transplant team-mate Ron Grainger, an Urologist who James attended as a patient and is also on the current Irish Team.

Now, James has his sights set on the forthcoming transplant games to be hosted in Finland from July 10-17 where he competes in Track and Field events and Golf.

The Dublin All-Star expressed his pleasure to meet the Irish athletes heading to the European Transplant & Dialysis Championships.

“They are amazing ambassadors, not only their families and friends but for Organ Donorship in general. I could sense the strong bond that exists throughout the group and even though every athlete is a winner at the games, I’m confident our athletes have trained and prepared to their personal maximum – and I hope they achieve their own goals in Finland in July”.