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Teammates to give blood following Seán’s lifesaving transfusion

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4 years ago

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Seán O'Leary and (inset) the Kilcummin senior football team. Main Pic: Eoin Noonan/Sportsfile.

by Adam Moynihan

When local Gaelic footballer Seán O’Leary was involved in a serious road traffic accident in Limerick in July, a blood transfusion saved his life.

The popular Kilcummin and Kerry player was travelling home from Thurles with his girlfriend, Emma, when their car collided with an oncoming vehicle near Abbeyfeale. Seán broke both his legs in the crash and, in the days and weeks that followed, he required seven units of blood. Those transfusions were of critical importance to the 21-year-old and now, thankfully, he is on the path to recovery.

Next week, to raise awareness around the importance of giving blood, Seán’s Kilcummin teammates will be donating their own blood at a clinic in Killarney. There is a shortage of blood in Ireland; if every senior GAA team followed Kilcummin’s lead, that shortage would surely be no more.

Speaking to the Killarney Advertiser, Seán said that the accident is “not something you can mentally prepare yourself for”, but he thanked everyone in the community for their support and confirmed that he and Emma are recuperating well. He also outlined how the transfusion he received saved his life.

“The night of the accident I had lost all feeling in my legs,” he recalled. “Once I saw what had happened, I realised I had an open wound fracture so there was a lot of blood. But I was very lucky: there’s a femoral artery that runs through your femur and if that’s ruptured you will bleed out within 15 minutes. I was very lucky that that didn’t get ruptured.

“I was rushed to hospital as soon as they got me out of the car. The blood transfusion I got that day was key to me surviving. Over the next few weeks, I had to get seven units of blood in total. That set me on my way to recovery. If the blood wasn’t available, I would have been in a seriously bad way.”

SHORTAGE

Unfortunately, blood is in relatively short supply in Ireland, with some being imported from the UK. Only 3% of the eligible Irish population give blood, despite that fact that 1 in 4 Irish people will need a blood transfusion at some point in their life.

With Seán’s experience and those figures in mind, Kilcummin players Brendan Kealy and Kevin Gorman, along with Seán himself, came together to see if they could help raise awareness by organising a group donation by the club’s senior team. In total, 22 members of the panel and management team have signed up for Killarney’s next Blood Donation Clinic, which takes place in the Dromhall Hotel from October 4-7. Another clinic will take place on October 11-12. Those interested in donating are encouraged to visit giveblood.ie for more information and to find out if you are eligible.

“It would be a great initiative if GAA clubs could get the message out to members about donating blood,” Seán added. “There will be other clubs around Kerry with members who will need a blood transfusion.

“You could be the difference between saving someone’s life or not.”

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Newly released book documents Civil War politics in Kerry

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2 days ago

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18 November 2025

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Kerry historian Owen O’Shea has released a new book detailing Civil War politics in the county and charting the turbulent and sometimes violent elections of the 1920s and early 1930s.

From Bullets to Ballots: Politics and Electioneering in Post-Civil War Kerry, 1923-33 has been published this week by UCD Press and will be launched at events in Tralee during the coming weeks.

Owen’s book is based on four years of research for a PhD at the School of History at University College Dublin.

Owen describes the Civil war in Kerry as the most divisive and longer lasting than any other county in Ireland.

He said: “Politics and election campaigns in the county were hugely influenced by the bitterness and hatred which the war created.

Elections brought underlying tensions to the surface and were often occasions of violence fuelled by fiery rhetoric from election platforms.”

In the book, the results of elections for the Civil War parties, as well as other parties who were not defined by the Treaty split, are considered in detail.

Key influences on electoral behaviour are examined, including party organisation, the role of party members, the dynamics of election campaigns, how the memory of the Civil War was used to persuade voters, and the crucial role of newspapers and their coverage of elections.

The book was launched by Professor Ferriter in Dublin bookshop Books Upstairs, on Tuesday.

There will be a Kerry launch on November 28 at O’Mahony’s Bookshop in Tralee with Minister Norma Foley as guest speaker.

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New Santa Cycle to support Lions Club Christmas Food Appeal

The Killarney Lions Club has launched a brand-new fundraising event. The first ever Killarney Santa Cycle will take place on Saturday, December 6. The cycle is being organised with the […]

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2 days ago

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18 November 2025

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The Killarney Lions Club has launched a brand-new fundraising event.

The first ever Killarney Santa Cycle will take place on Saturday, December 6. The cycle is being organised with the support of Killarney Cycling Club and Christmas in Killarney, and all funds raised will go directly to the Lions’ annual Christmas Food Appeal.
The Food Appeal provides hampers to local families who need extra support over the festive season. Last year, the Lions distributed more than 100 hampers, and the club hopes to match that again this Christmas.
The Santa Cycle is a short, family-friendly spin around Killarney town, and everyone is welcome to take part. Participants are encouraged to dress up, Even a simple Santa hat will do and bring their bike.
Registration is now open at idonate.ie (search 2025 Killarney Santa Cycle), or through the event QR code. Entry costs €15 for adults, €5 for children, or €25 for a family.
The cycle will begin at Killarney Racecourse at 5.15pm, before joining the Christmas in Killarney Parade to lead it through the town.
Killarney Lions Club President Jason Higgins said the new event is a fun way to support an important annual project.
“Our Christmas Food Appeal is vital because we know this time of year can be difficult for some families. We provided over 100 hampers last year and we hope to do the same again,” he said.
“We heard about Santa Cycles being held elsewhere and thought it would be something different for Killarney. I’d encourage everyone to come along — it will be a bit of fun and will help raise much-needed funds.”

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