Into the next decade of the 'Kidney Race'

"If you had told me back in 1990, when the Punchestown Charity Race started, that we would be still running it in 2022 I would not have believed it was possible."

James Nolan remains bemused about the longevity of the fundraiser he initiated to acknowledge his appreciation for receiving a life-saving kidney donation, writes Brian Byrne, but is delighted that the event making its 31st running at the end of next week is still as strong as ever.

With 25 amateur 'first-timers' going under starter's orders for the last race of the Punchestown Festival on Saturday 30 April, it promises to be yet another strong finish for the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund, which has raised more than €1.6 million over more than three decades.

The race is named this year 'Have The Conversation – Say YES To Organ Donation', highlighting the key theme of the PKRF during Organ Donor Awareness Week 2022, which runs from April 23–30. "It's great to have the race back on the card after two years without it," James says, recalling that he rode himself in the first 13 stagings of the race, and even won it in 2002, on 50/1 shot Nero’s Dancer, 'which is a memory I will treasure forever'. "Punchestown Racecourse have been incredible supporters of the Charity for 33 years. We have been fortunate that all the owners and trainers have been kind enough to enter their horses in our 'Kidney Race' which enables our jockeys to experience the thrill of taking part at Ireland’s biggest National Hunt Racing Festival in front of 30,000 people."

Six of the jockeys in next week's race hail from County Kildare, with the others from Dublin, Wicklow, Roscommon, Wexford, Waterford, Meath, Galway and Tipperary, and two — Chloe Page and Patrick Chesters — coming in from England. Each rider has raised at least €1,500 in order to take part, and also have trained to qualify for their riding licence. Many of the horses they will ride represent some of the best racing stables in Ireland.

Punchestown racecourse staffer Leona Hughes will be on a horse provided by Jessica Harrington, a longtime supporter of the Charity Race and one of the inaugural riders herself in 1990. Camilla Sharples, Barry Nolan and Kay Bowe will represent the Elliott, Nolan and Bowe stables respectively, and other racing families will be there in the colours of Sarah Connell, Ava Banahan and Neil Durkan. Rider Cliona Costelloe's Dad, John Costelloe from the famous racing family in Clare, received a kidney transplant in a paired exchange in Belfast, so Cliona has a very personal reason for taking part. Cliona’s mother Grainne donated a kidney to the Paired Exchange Donor Pool, which enabled John to receive a transplant from another donor on the programme. 

Kilcullen’s Paul Bell won a Kildare County Football Championship earlier this year with 'The Rags' and he will enjoy local support from all the Kildare GAA supporters. Former professional boxer Michael Harty from Galway, and Cora Doyle from Tipperary — who recently ran a half-marathon in Berlin — are also up for the chase. 

The funds raised by the race down the decades have been used to improve the quality of life for patients on dialysis, to help provide a new renal unit at Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin, and for projects which include research into renal failure and its treatment. 

"Because of the pandemic we had no major projects in 2020 and 2021, as we had no race," says James. "But in 2022 the PKRF is looking forward to partnering with the Irish Kidney Association to set up a Pilot Peer Support Program to help kidney patients and their families. Those starting out on the road to dialysis, or looking at the possibility of a life-saving kidney transplant, will be able to connect with a trained volunteer, to discuss their concerns."

In the meantime, James — whose donor kidney came from his sister Catherine — continues to quote the mantra that underpins the 'Gift of Life' which can be offered by everyone. "Have the conversation with your family, and say 'yes' to organ donation," he says, having acknowledged every day for the last 35 years what that same family conversation has meant to him.

A version of this article was published in this week's Kildare Nationalist.

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