Untimely passing of sportswoman Orla Hogan Ryan
The untimely death has taken place of Orla Hogan Ryan, the Nenagh woman who put the town on the international map with her success in sports events for people with organ transplants.
Orla, originally from Ballycommon, and Hawthorns, Nenagh, captured the imagination of sporting fans and the admiration of all when she first competed in the European Transplant and Dialysis Games in Slovenia in 2004.
At the time Orla, who was 26, had already had three kidney transplants and was back on dialysis for huge chunks of every week after her body began rejecting her third transplant.
But she did not let her life-threatening illness stop her. In her first European games she won silver in the 50m breaststroke, silver in the bowling doubles, and also teamed up with County Mayo competitor Marie Mellon to take a bronze medal in the bowling singles event. She also took part in the 2km walk at the championship in searing heat.
Members of North Tipperary County Council and Nenagh Town Council were so impressed with her achievements that they later accorded her a Civic Reception.
Two years later Orla was back in action with a 26-member Ireland team at the European Transplant and Dialysis Games in Hungary, just weeks after she married the love of her life, Nenagh man Ger Ryan. At the games she represented Ireland in the pool, competing in the 50 metre freestyle and breaststroke and in both the singles and double bowling.
In 2009 she competed in the World Transplant Games in Australia, winning a bronze medal in the 3km walk.
Again at the European games staged in Dublin in 2010, Orla captured silver in the 50 metres freestyle and she competed in the 18th World Transplant Games in Gothenburg, Sweden the following year, taking part in swimming, ten-pin bowling and the 3km race, and she also took part in the World Games in South Africa in 2013.
At the European games in 2016 in Finland she won two silver medals, in the 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke competitions and a bronze in the ball throw event. She also took part in the World Transplant Games in Malaga the following year.
In 2018 she won two bronze medals at the European games in the 50m freestyle swimming and in bowling and competed in the 3km power-walk. She competed in the World Games in the UK in 2019.
HONOURED BY PRESIDENT
On Saint Patrick’s Day 2018 her achievements were honoured by President Michael D Higgins who invited her and members of her family to Áras an Uachtaráin where he acknowledged the role she and other organ donors had played in the international sport.
Throughout her relatively short life Orla was involved in various roles. She was a Special Needs Assistant at Carrig National School, helped out at the Suimhneas Cancer Support Centre in Nenagh and the Nenagh Special Summer Camp for many years. She publicly campaigned for people to carry donor cards and was a member of the Tipperary Branch of the Irish Kidney Association. She also worked as a volunteer at the Special Olympics World Games in Athens in 2011. Space does not allow us to mention all the good she did. Suffice it to say that she was the living embodiment of triumph over adversity.
North Tipperary Hospice Home Care in reaction to the sad news and expressing sympathy to Orla's family said: “It is with great sadness that we have learned of the untimely passing of Orla... who was a valued and much loved volunteer at our Cancer Support Centre at Suaimhneas and a great supporter of North Tipperary Hospice.”
Orla, who was 46, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 7, surrounded by her loving family.
She is survived by her husband Ger Ryan, parents Seamus and Nora Hogan and siblings Pádraig, Mairead, Niamh, Cathal and Maire and extended family and special cousin Susan Starr.
Her Funeral Mass took place last Saturday in Saint Mary of the Rosary Church, followed by burial in Lisboney Cemetery.
Ger and the Hogan family would like to acknowledge the wonderful care and attention that Orla received over the years, with special mention to the Renal teams in Temple Street, Beaumont and University Hospital Limerick, the staff of the ICU at University Hospital Limerick, who cared so well for her, Eddie Guerin Pharmacy and his staff and her GP Dr Brian Kennedy and his staff. May she rest in peace.