Asthma Society of Ireland Honours Founder

Founding Chairperson of the Asthma Society of Ireland, the late Órán Ó Muiré, was honoured at an award ceremony of the inaugural Órán Ó Muiré Bursary for Nurse Led Asthma Research on 30th Nov. The presentation of the Órán Ó Muiré medal and bursary of €1000 was presented to the bursary winner, Respiratory Nurse Specialist Deirdre Long, from Beaumont Hospital, by Mrs Kathleen Ó Muiré.

Órán Ó Muiré Bursary Winner Nurse Deirdre Long

The ceremony took place at the Royal College of Physicians on Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

The focus of the 2009 awards was for nursing research findings which focused on improving the quality of care delivered to people with asthma and/or their families. The competition was open to all registered nurses in The Republic of Ireland.

The piece of research submitted by Nurse Deirdre Long has the potential to be a springboard for developing nursing practice towards improved quality of asthma care.

The award and bursary was inspired by Órán Ó Muiré's crucial role in highlighting the burden of asthma in Ireland. Órán was the driving force behind the Asthma Society of Ireland which today supports research and education projects throughout the country. His support and fundraising efforts since the 1970's radically changed the awareness of asthma in Ireland.

Órán Ó Muiré was born in January 1949 and died in March 2004. Órán was educated in Newbridge College and Knockbeg College, Co. Carlow. Upon completing second level education, he attended UCD, where he studied for an Arts degree. After graduating in 1970 he began a career as a secondary level school teacher, teaching Irish and music at St. Vincent’s CBS in Glasnevin. In 1978 he married, and is survived by his wife, Kathleen, and their children, Sorcha, Colm, Fiachra and Eanna.

Whilst teaching at St. Vincent’s Glasnevin, Órán founded the Asthma Society of Ireland in 1973. Órán helped raise public awareness of the illness and attracted support from political parties. He was also active in the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA), a European umbrella group. Órán Ó Muiré was Treasurer of the first EFA Board in 1993 and had been an honorary member of the EFA Board until his death in March 2004.

Speaking at the ceremony Dr Jean Holohan, CEO, the Asthma Society of Ireland said, "The primary objective of the Asthma Society is to see asthma well managed in line with international best practice. This was one of the goals of Órán Ó Muiré in founding the Asthma Society of Ireland, which represents the interests of almost half a million people in Ireland affected by the condition. The Asthma Society of Ireland hopes that this bursary will encourage research which will influence outcomes in patient care and encourage the potential for collaboration with nurse led clinics in general practice."