The start of a new year often comes with familiar resolutions: better health, better habits, and promises to give something up. Less often discussed is the idea of giving something back.
This week, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is offering exactly that opportunity, with a blood donation clinic running in Galway from 6–8 January 2026 at the Connacht Hotel.
For donors, the time commitment is small. For patients, the impact can be life-changing.
Why blood transfusions matter
Blood transfusions are a cornerstone of modern healthcare. They are used following road traffic accidents, during major surgeries, in cancer treatment, for people with chronic blood disorders, and in maternity care.
Despite advances in medical science, there is still no artificial alternative to human blood. Every unit used in Irish hospitals must come from a donor. Unlike many medical supplies, blood cannot be manufactured, imported quickly, or stockpiled indefinitely. The system relies on a constant cycle of donation, testing, storage, and use.
Blood is also time-sensitive. Red blood cells can be stored for around 35 days, while platelets last only about seven. Plasma lasts longer, but only under specific storage conditions. This short shelf life means that even a brief drop in donations can lead to pressure on hospital services, particularly for less common blood types.
Blood types, explained without the biology headache
Most people know their blood type in the same way they know their shoe size: useful, vaguely mysterious, and rarely questioned. Blood types are grouped using two systems:
The first is the ABO system, which sorts blood into A, B, AB, or O.
The second is the Rh factor, which adds a plus (+) or minus (−).
These classifications are based on antigens, small markers on the surface of red blood cells. Antigens act as signals to the immune system, helping the body distinguish between what belongs and what does not.
If donated blood carries antigens that the recipient’s body does not recognise, the immune system can attack the transfused cells. This reaction can be severe, which is why matching blood types is a non-negotiable part of transfusion medicine.
Images 1 & 2. Source: Irish Blood Transfusion Service.
Who has what in Europe?
Blood types are not evenly distributed across the population, and Ireland is a particularly interesting case. The country has one of the highest proportions of O blood types in Europe, especially O positive and O negative. This pattern is not random.
Image 3. Taken from jakubmarian.com
High levels of O blood types are commonly associated with populations that have strong Celtic ancestry, and similar patterns are seen in parts of western Scotland and Wales.
Over generations, this genetic profile became embedded in the population, meaning Ireland today has a blood type distribution that differs noticeably from countries further east in Europe, where A and B blood types are more common.
By contrast, higher levels of blood type B and A are seen further east, particularly in parts of eastern Europe and western Asia. This is thought to reflect historical migration routes stretching thousands of years back, including movements linked to steppe populations and later trade networks
Why shortages happen so easily
The blood supply is unusually sensitive to disruption. Unlike most medical resources, it depends on constant renewal rather than long-term storage. When donation levels dip, reserves can fall sharply within days.
Images 4. Source: Irish Blood Transfusion Service.
For students, this often happens at predictable times. Exam periods, holidays, bad weather, and even flu season all reduce donor turnout. Meanwhile, accidents, surgeries, and medical emergencies continue as normal.
Another lesser-known challenge is that blood cannot be moved freely across borders as easily as other medical supplies. Differences in collection systems, testing protocols, and shelf life mean that most countries must remain largely self-sufficient.
One donation can be split into components that help multiple patients. That single hour can quietly ripple through several hospital wards.
Who can donate, and what actually happens?
Most people aged 18 to 65 who are generally healthy can donate blood. The appointment is straightforward. After a short health questionnaire and check, the donation itself usually takes under ten minutes. The full visit typically lasts around 45 minutes, including tea, biscuits, and the mandatory sit-down afterwards.
Donating in Galway
A blood donation clinic is running this week at the Connacht Hotel, organised by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service. It takes place from Tuesday to Thursday, 6–8 January, between 4 and 8pm.
For students in Galway, it is an easy way to do something practical at the start of the year. No long-term commitment, no special skills required, just time.
For those not back in Galway there is clinics up along the country and you can check it here: www.giveblood.ie/find-a-clinic/clinic-finder/
Blood transfusions rarely make headlines, but they underpin almost everything hospitals do. Giving blood is one of the few actions where an ordinary hour can directly support someone else’s survival, recovery, or chance to go home.
Daniel McGonigle is a third-year PhD researcher at the University of Galway and the Postgraduate Officer for the Students’ Union. He’s passionate about highlighting the importance of student activism and representation. When he’s not advocating for postgraduate rights he’s in the lab working on his COVID and muscle research.