Limerick Leader Wednesday 20 June 2012
Niamh Broderick News Reporter
A Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS) seminar takes place this Sunday, June 25, at the Kilmurray Lodge Hotel, Castletroy at 7.30pm.
Well known personalities from around the country including former governor of Mountjoy, John Lonergan and Bridget McAnallen, parent and founder of the Cormac Trust, will speak at the event.
It will also feature Dr Deirdre Ward, Cardiologist and CRY member (Cardiac Risk in the Young) and Maureen Kelly, who is involved with Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young.
A number of young Limerick people are suspected to have died from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome including Ross Cooney, whose life was cut short while representing UL at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, in an inter varsities tournament. He died suddenly on court when the team had just started a match back in November 1999.
Some years later, the Cormac Trust was set up after the sudden death of Cormac McAnallen in the morning of March 2, 2004. His death came as a shock to people not only in his local area, but also to people all over Ireland, as he was a well known sportsman of exceptional fitness and of ostensibly perfect health and captain of Tyrone gaelic football team.
It was largely due to the death of Cormac and other subsequent cases that the Irish public became aware of the issue of sudden cardiac death among young people.
From the time of his death the McAnallen family was keen to direct public attention to these cardiac conditions that cause such sudden deaths. The family, with the assistance of the Tyrone County Board of the GAA, set up the Cormac Trust to raise awareness of sudden cardiac deaths in young people and its causes; to promote cardiac screening for young people, especially for athletes; to provide education and information and to raise awareness.