Air Corps push plane via Kinnegad

The Irish Air Corps will undertake a 40 hour charity non-stop marathon between May 16 and 18, pushing a light aircraft from Baldonnel to Galway to raise awareness for organ donation and support for a national commemorative garden to organ donors.

This garden, called Circle of Life, will be in Quincentennial Park, Salthill, and is being developed by Strange Boat Donor Foundation, in partnership with Galway City Council.

In 2012 the Air Corps, which provides an international air ambulance service for the people of Ireland, completed 99 air ambulance missions, including national, international and transatlantic transfers of patients, of which 20 related directly to organ donation.

Irish children requiring transplants are included in the UK’s donor pool and so rely on the speedy transport of the Air Corps when they receive a call to the UK for a transplant.

Planned Route:
Starting Baldonnel, 8pm, Thursday, through the night to Leixlip, Maynooth, Kilcock, Enfield, Clonard, and Kinnegad for 7am.

Then to Milltownpass, Rochfortbridge, Tyrrellspass, Kilbeggan, Horseleap, reaching Moate, 4pm.

From there to Athlone, arriving about 5.30pm. From Athlone through the small villages of Kielty, Cornafulla, Doohan, Ballydangan to Ballinasloe, arrival time, 1am Saturday.

From Ballinasloe, travelling through the night, arriving Loughrea about 7am.

Then to Craughwell, Derrydonnell Beg, on to Oranmore, arriving Galway City, 2.30pm.

Final destination Quincentennial Park, Salthill, 3pm.

For information contact Martina (Strange Boat) 087 7429080 or Brendan (Air Corps) 087 2053455; info@strangeboat.org.

www.strangeboat.org