Birr man one of three to make 500th blood platelet donation on same dayBirr man John O’Halloran today (Monday) became one of three to reach a milestone 500th blood platelet donation on the same day. The IBTS celebrated the first time three platelet donors reached their 500th donation on the same day, as John joined Paul Dunphy from Portmarnock, and Marcus Hand from Lucan, Co Dublin as they all reached their donation milestone. “We urgently need more blood and platelet donors to support healthcare in Ireland. Our panel of platelet donors sits at just over 2,000 donors, and these individuals provide platelets for every patient in Ireland who needs them. "Only 3% of our eligible population are blood donors, but around a quarter of us will need a blood transfusion at some point.

Source: Irish Independent December 29, 2025 15:17 UTC