Our Charity

The Irish Haemochromatosis Association C.L.G. (IHA) is a registered charity in Ireland, established on a voluntary basis on the 20th July 1999. Our main charitable objective is to raise awareness of Ireland’s most common genetic disorder and provide an information and support resource for patients and their families and for those who are interested in […]

Corporate Involvement & Sponsorship

At the Irish Haemochromatosis Association, support from corporate partners is so incredibly important to us. We appreciate any support your business can give us, whether it be once off or continuous support, a Charity of the Year Partnership or an Event Sponsorship.

Advocacy & Media

Make your voice heard by asking your local TD to raise issues facing many haemochromatosis patients in Ireland, including the unfair and inequitable €80 charge for venesections for patients without Medical Cards or private health insurance.

We continue to lobby the HSE and the Department of Health to waive the cost of treatment for venesections and request that more GPs are equipped to provide venesection services in their practices.

Other Associations and Societies

  Haemochromatosis International Haemochromatosis International is a global alliance of haemochromatosis associations,  established to advance the health of people with haemochromatosis across Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, South African and South America. Haemochromatosis UK Haemochromatosis UK supports people in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who live with genetic haemochromatosis. www.irishliverfoundation.ie The Irish Liver […]

Conchúr Ó Brolcháin

I’m in a place where I feel healthy and energetic My own personal haemochromatosis journey has been an interesting one. My father was diagnosed with Haemochromatosis in 2002 after bouts of severe fatigue that actually culminated in him being diagnosed with terminal cancer. His passing was extremely sad and traumatic for us all, but it […]

Jarlath Hughes

Early diagnosis of haemochromatosis is crucial When I was about 40, I began to feel tired, lethargic and had low libido. I went to the doctor but as the GP didn’t know the cause of my problems, I stopped attending the surgery.   As the years went by, things got worse. I was getting headaches, […]

John O’Brien from Dublin

How a dive on the barrier reef uncovered a HH diagnosis In 2014, my wife and I had planned a visit to our daughter, Eimear, who lives in Brisbane, Australia. I decided that a chance to scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef would be too good an opportunity to pass up. So I applied […]

Shauna Coyne & her Dad

My father and the ‘Celtic curse’ The ‘Celtic curse’ is the name popularly given to the condition haemochromatosis, a genetic disorder where excessive amounts of iron are absorbed from the diet, leading to organ and tissue damage and even death, if left untreated. It’s nicknamed the ‘Celtic curse’ because, while one-in-400 Europeans has the condition, […]

Maurice Manning

I feel extraordinarly lucky to have been diagnosed “I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes more than 18 years ago and a test for haemochromatosis was one of the initial tests that the GP carried out. It showed up quickly that I had seriously high ferritin levels. I was not in good health at the time. […]

Sean Carter from Galway

Fall from a horse leads to haemochromatosis diagnosis After a horse riding incident, Sean Carter suffered with backache and chest pain. He went to see his doctor after the fall, who enquired about his colouring.  Confused, Sean asked the doctor if his colour was abnormal. The doctor told him that he had a bronze/grey pallor […]