Opt Out Campaign for Organ Donation Supported by St Mary’s Pupils
- Joe Brolly and Shane Finnegan
GAA Allstar Joe Brolly and past pupil, Shane Finnegan, were special guests of St. Mary’s Christian Brothers Grammar School on Tuesday for a debate with Year 14 pupils on organ donation. Pearse Vallely 14F chaired the Question and Answer session with the two men.
The two St. Brigid’s GAC men received a very warm welcome from pupils as they outlined their Ireland-wide campaign to have the law changed to a soft opt-out legislative system. Under the proposed new system, which the Northern Ireland Executive is planning to adopt, people will automatically become donors unless they opt out through a confidential register but with the caveat that the donor’s family will always have the final say.
Principal Jim Sheerin stated,
“It was a great honour to have these two men share their story with our Year 14 students during Holy Week. Shane, a past pupil, shared the story of his illness and the importance of increasing the number of organ donors in Ireland. Joe talked about his role as a kidney donor and the changes it has made to his life. His generous and selfless act could be replicated throughout Ireland if more people knew how simple it was to save a life.
The Year 14’s will be leaving us in June with a clear message from Joe to
“stand up and be counted and take their place in society,
as they are the leaders of the future.”
