Killarney

By Sean Moriarty
<h3>A Barraduff couple who will hit a staggering 220 donations between them next week are encouraging people to give the gift of blood.</h3>
The Irish Blood Transfusion Service, which visits Killarney three times a year, will be in town again on Monday for the first of its four daily clinics at the Dromhall Hotel, and urgently needs donations from the public.
Husband and wife Noel and Eileen Dennehy started donating blood in 1979. Noel has donated blood 118 times over the last 43 years while Eileen will make her 101st donation this coming Monday. Next week&#8217;s donations will bring the couple to 220 between them.
 Noel started donating blood by accident when on a visit to his sister Nora in Rathmore. At the time the Irish Blood Transfusion Service operated clinics in community halls in villages all over the county but these days concentrates on town centre clinics.
 &ldquo;When I was leaving she asked where was I going now,&rdquo; he told the Killarney Advertiser.
 &ldquo;When I said I was going to the pub she said why don&rsquo;t I go to the blood clinic on my way. I walked out the door at that second and I decided to go and give blood.&rdquo;
 Noel, in turn, convinced his wife to donate blood.
 &ldquo;It was the late 1970s, Noel was going and said I should come along too, I try to make them all but that wasn&rsquo;t always easy with three children,&rdquo; Eileen said. &ldquo;They always write to you and tell you what hospital our blood went to so it&rsquo;s a nice feeling that we know we are helping other people.&rdquo;
 The blood donation clinic will operate for four days at the Dromhall Hotel next week.
 On Monday the clinic will be operational from 4.45pm to 8.30pm. It will be open from 2.45pm to 5pm and 6.45pm to 9pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
 The clinic will continue between May 3 and 5 when the Irish Blood Transfusion Service will be on site at the Dromhall Hotel between 3.45pm and 7.40pm each day.
 Those interested in becoming a donor can register on www.giveblood.ie.

Barraduff couple give the gift of over 200 blood donations

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