Hundreds of people gathered for a service of remembrance and thanksgiving to honour organ donors.

It was organised by the Irish Kidney Assocation and took place in the Church of the Holy Child in Whitehall in north Dublin.

People who have been touched by organ donation services and who have worked and volunteered for decades were in attendance along with multi-faith celebrants.

Families of those who in their death became donors were there to remember their loved ones.

Loved ones like eighteen-year-old Colm Donnelly who died two years ago after an accident on the family farm in Gorey, Co Wexford on Valentine’s Day, 2023.

Holding a framed photo of her brother, Niamh Donnelly said Colm was suitable for multiple organ donations and he gave “four people the gift of life” which she said has helped her family since his death.

“Contact was made with the man that got his liver and the other three recipients are all doing well and we were delighted to hear that. It gives us a bit of hope to keep going – Colm’s memory lives on.”

His father Walter Donnelly said members of their wider family had previously benefitted from organ donation so they knew how it would help others if they did the same after Colm’s death.

“Coming here today to see how young people benefit from organ donation is fantastic.”

Walter said knowing his son is continuing to help people has given him comfort.

“Colm’s heart valves were able to go into storage and can be stored for up to five years for adults or babies; somebody could be glad of them someday.”

He said Colm lives on.

Walter said the Service of Remembrance is not easy to come to but that he knows there is a benefit in coming to a day where people are remembered.

The day was also about celebrating renewed life.

Ten-year-old Calum Cooney from Donegal received a kidney after being on home dialysis for two years which his mum, Lorraine, said was very difficult.

Calum said: “One kidney didn’t develop very well when I was born and then, when I was six, the other kidney failed.”

He described dialysis as a machine that “kinda does what a kidney would do”.

Calum said he had pain after the operation and that now he has to drink a lot of water and take a lot of tablets but that he is happy.

Calum plays basketball, badminton and football and takes part in swimming.

He is in fourth class and has to see his Temple Street Hospital doctors every three months for checkups.

As part of the service, Calum brought his beloved basketball up to the altar as part of the Offertory Procession along with other members of Transplant Sport Ireland.

Lorraine said getting the call for a kidney two years ago was better than winning the lotto.

“With the confines of home dialysis it was very difficult for the whole family, having to stay home all the time, not being able to go on trips.”

She said she is very grateful to the donor who gave her son a kidney.

“There’s not a day goes by that you don’t think about that donor and their family and the ultimate gift they have given our family.”

Lorraine said being at today’s service is very special and emotional for the whole family, including dad Victor, brother Tadhg, sister Honor May and grandmother Kitty.

“We are very grateful to be here and very grateful to have him here holding his basketball.”

The service, which was presided over by Dermot Farrell, Archbishop of Dublin and the Primate of Ireland, brought together inter-faith celebrants, volunteers and medics.

Dr Catherine Motherway, Clinical Lead at Organ Donation and Transplant Ireland, read the first reading.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony, she said people gathered at the church today to celebrate the “most wonderful thing, which is the gift of life”.

Dr Motherway said donating an organ is an absolutely wonderful gift; that anybody can give to anybody else and this service is for many people a way of remembering and for many transplant recipients a way of honouring their donor.

The CEO of the Irish Kidney Association said the service is emotional, and that a number of groups are involved including families, medics and volunteers.

“There’ll be lots of stories told, lots of tears, and I think for us its a way of celebrating life”

Carole Moore said this year is particularly special as it is the 40th annual ceremony and that it is celebratory because it’s about the active citizenship people have shown through the Organ Donor service.

She said they always need people to “step up” and volunteer and hoped members of the public would, if they could, help organisations like the Irish Kidney Association.

The service from the Church of the Holy Child in Whitehall was recorded and will be broadcast in full on RTÉ One on Sunday, 2 November at 11am.

Ukraine is seeking to purchase €76bn worth of US weapons to support its defence against Russia in the war that has now been grinding on for three-and-a-half years.

Ukrainian officials will visit the United States this month or next for talks on major arms purchases and drone production deals, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Mr Zelensky was in the United States this week for the UN General Assembly and to meet US President Donald Trump.

He said he had shared with Mr Trump “a certain vision of what could be done” to respond to Russia’s actions in its war on Ukraine.

Ukraine said it has prepared a list of about €76bn worth of US weapons that it wants to buy.

Ukraine selling drones to the US

“In addition to the large arms deal, which we call the ‘MegaDeal’, we also discussed the ‘Drone Deal’.

“Technical groups are already starting to work on this deal,” Mr Zelenskiy told reporters, briefing them on his visit to the US.

He said it concerns drones that the United States will purchase directly from Ukraine.

“During more than three-and-a-half years of war, Ukraine has created a drone industry from scratch, with hundreds of producers making millions of drones, but it lacks the financial resources to scale up production further,” he said.

Ukraine also depends heavily on weapons supplies from its western allies, especially for air defence.

Mr Zelensky said Ukraine has already deployed one Patriot missile defence system received recently from Israel and expects to receive two more Patriot systems this autumn.

Strengthening air defence and protecting cities and residents from Russian bombardment remains a top priority for Mr Zelensky’s government.

Russia has stepped up its drone and missile strikes, sometimes sending hundreds of drones a night.

Ukraine is responding by sending its own drones to hit Russian energy and oil facilities.

“It’s pointless to expect Russia to take conciliatory steps towards Ukraine. Accordingly, Ukraine should take appropriate steps towards Russia,” he said.