TRANSPLANT FOOTBALLERS TRAINED IN KILCULLEN FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Back: Glen Clinton, James Reynolds, Mark Moore, Pat Huddleston, Brian Carney; Front: Mike Keohane, John Paul O’Neill, Val Weblin, Tim Lyons, Shane Riordan.

Ten Irish athletes who are taking part in the Transplant Football World Cup in Frankfurt from 13–18 September have been training over the last several months at Kilcullen Community Centre's Astro pitch, writes Brian Byrne. This morning was their last session at Kilcullen before the event.

As Team Ireland, they will be joining transplant recipients from around the world, in more than 60 teams celebrating life, resilience, friendship, and the extraordinary gift of organ donation.

Each athlete has a remarkable story. Just a few examples: Kilkenny-born JP O’Neill, who lives in Athy, has spent almost three decades showing what life after a kidney transplant can look like — as Football Sports Captain, he will lead the Transplant Sport Ireland team in Frankfurt. Val Weblin was in a wheelchair and on oxygen for two years and is now playing in this World Cup having received a double lung and kidney transplant. Mike Keohane was given just weeks to live and has been fit and healthy for 19 years since his liver transplant. For Shane Riordan, who had a life-saving bone marrow transplant in 2019, representing Ireland on the football pitch is something he never imagined would be possible.

Each of the other team members' stories is just as remarkable. "Tonight, the whole country will be rooting for the great Katie Taylor," says Kilcullen's own kidney transplant athlete, James Nolan. "But each of these guys is in the same brave league as Katie in terms of what they are achieving in their sport." Members of the team visited Nolan's Butchers this afternoon before returning home.

Players will compete in three preliminary rounds to qualify for a knockout semi-final. Each game is 20 minutes a side, with a 10-minute break. Transplant Sport Ireland team manager Harry Ward, watching today's training, said the players will be on the training pitch in Frankfurt tomorrow week just two hours after getting off the plane. "Then they'll show what they're made of through the week."

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