CLONULTY-ROSSMORE,CO TIPPERARY – A growing initiative offering cardiac screening to young athletes is providing “huge solace” to families across Ireland,following the tragic sudden death of Tipperary hurler Dillon Quirke last year. The Dillon Quirke foundation, established in his memory, is facilitating tests that have already identified life-threatening heart conditions in teenagers like Tom Quilter and Ellie mulhall.
Tom Quilter was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) after a screening organized through the foundation. His parents, Ms. Quilter and john Quilter, credit a “simple ten-minute test” with saving their son’s life, following successful operations. “One message we want to get out there is that was a simple ten-minute test that saved our son’s life,” Mr.Quilter stated.
Similarly, 13-year-old Ellie Mulhall, from Blessington, Co Wicklow, was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome during a Dillon Quirke Foundation screening at her local GAA club. Her mother, Sue Mulhall, described the experience as a ”shock,” but praised the foundation for swift referral to Crumlin Hospital, where Ellie underwent a successful cardiac ablation. “Then Ellie had a cardiac ablation done earlier this year as it was affecting the pathway of her heart and two weeks later, they repeated their test and she was fine,” Ms. Mulhall said. Ellie is now back playing sport.The initiative has seen a significant increase in uptake,notably in Kerry,with sports clubs embracing the Dillon Quirke initiative. The foundation aims to screen 50,000 young people within five years.
Last week, the Mulhall and Quilter families joined Dillon’s parents, Dan and Hazel Quirke, at the Clonoulty-rossmore GAA club to raise awareness. The victorious Tipperary senior hurling team, along with the Liam McCarthy Cup, were also in attendance, honouring Dillon’s memory.
tipperary hurling captain Ronan Maher, who acknowledged Dillon in his All-Ireland final speech, emphasized Dillon’s impact on the team. “He was a great leader on the field for us and a great leader in the dressing-room for us,” Maher said.”We are such a good, tight, kind unit and one thing we always do is look at his plaque in the corner of the dressing-room every day we go out.”
For Dan and Hazel Quirke, All-Ireland day is bittersweet. “It was great in one sense and really difficult in another,” Mr. Quirke said. “To see the joy on the faces of all the Tipp guys and supporters was amazing…but it was a great occasion.”
