Transplant Team Ireland battled it out today with their greatest golfing rivals, the Finns, at the 7th European Transplant & Dialysis Games in Zagreb, Croatia securing a Gold, Silver and Bronze medal.

Kildare man James Nolan secured Gold in the Net Golf competition. The kidney transplant athlete and multi-award winning butcher from Kilcullen is celebrating the 25th Anniversary since his kidney transplant which he received from his sister.

The Irish took second and third place in the Golf Gross competition. Newcomer to the Team Eoghan O’Neill, a kidney transplant recipient from Newmarket-on-Fergus (now living in Limerick)  won Silver in the Gross competition, his fourth medal since the Games began. Eoghan also won Gold on Monday in Swimming in a 400m freestyle event as well sharing Silver in the Freestyle relay and Bronze in the Medley relay event.  Antrim man John McAleer, who is the oldest member of the Team and receives dialysis treatment, was placed third in the Golf Gross event for which he secured a Bronze medal. Finland’s team took Gold in the Gross competition.

The Irish Team will continue to participate in various events at the Games throughout the week before returning home on Saturday night, 25th August.

The Irish Team includes 17 men and 9 women ranging in age from 18 to 74. Events at the Games include badminton, tennis, table tennis, cycling, darts, petanque, ten-pin bowling,volleyball, golf, mini-marathon and track and field.

The European Games involves over 300 athletes from 28 countries throughout Europe. The Games are a celebration of life through sport and promote organ donation for transplantation. Athletes participating in the Games include heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas transplant recipients as well as people who are receiving dialysis treatment.

To follow the Irish Team at the Games visit blogwww.transplantteamireland.wordpress.com

For organ donor cards Freetext the word DONOR to 50050 or visit website www.ika.ie  It is now possible to download an organ donor card on smartphones by searching for ‘Donor Ecard’ at the iphone store and android market place.