IRELAND · IRISH UNRELATED BONE MARROW REGISTRY
Become a bone marrow donor in Ireland
For people who live in Ireland. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
If you live in Ireland, you can join Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry from age 18 to 45. Ireland’s registry is open only to people who can give blood, because you join at a blood donation clinic with an extra tube of blood. 1 Checked .
Browsing from another country? See how joining works where you live.
| Place | Ireland (Éire) |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern Europe, Europe 4 |
| Population | About 5.2 million (2023) 5 |
| Registry | Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry (Irish Blood Transfusion Service) 1 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 45, listed until your 55th birthdayThe Irish Blood Transfusion Service asks people joining the bone marrow registry to meet the normal criteria for giving blood; its joining rules don’t mention citizenship. 1 |
| How you sign up | To join in Ireland, tick the bone marrow question on the health questionnaire at a blood donation appointment, and an extra tube of blood is taken for tissue typing; there is no home kit. 1 |
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A bone marrow donor registry is also called a stem cell or blood stem cell donor registry.
Who runs the bone marrow donor registry in Ireland?
Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry signs up people who live in Ireland. It is run by Irish Blood Transfusion Service, a blood service.
In Ireland you join at a blood donation clinic, aged 18 to 45. 1
How do I join in Ireland?
The Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry can’t be joined for one specific patient: people who join are available to any patient in the world. 1 2
Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry
Run by Irish Blood Transfusion Service, a blood service.
18–45years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Ireland, aged 18 to 45.
- Language
- English
Why this one first Ireland’s registry, run by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service: join with an extra tube at a blood donation (18–45).
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
Who can join in Ireland?
Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry signs up people who live in Ireland. Its own pages have the full rules, and the registry decides.
- Your health
- Most healthy adults can join. Some conditions rule it out. Read the registry’s health rules (opens in a new tab)
Ireland and the world’s donor search
The Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry is the World Marrow Donor Association’s national hub for Ireland, handling requests for donors from Ireland and from abroad. 3
What happens after I join?
Your tissue type is recorded, so searches for patients can find you. If you match a patient, Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry contacts you, checks you’re still willing and well, and arranges more tests.
Wherever the matched patient is, donations from Ireland’s registry take place at St James’s Hospital in Dublin, and the registry says it aims to cover any lost earnings and expenses. 2
Volunteers in Ireland stay on the registry’s database until they turn 55. 1
Questions about joining in Ireland
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Ireland?
The Irish Blood Transfusion Service asks people joining the bone marrow registry to meet the normal criteria for giving blood; its joining rules don’t mention citizenship. 1
How do I sign up in Ireland: online, by kit or in person?
To join in Ireland, tick the bone marrow question on the health questionnaire at a blood donation appointment, and an extra tube of blood is taken for tissue typing; there is no home kit. 1
How old do you have to be to join Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry?
Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry signs up people aged 18 to 45. It keeps you listed until your 55th birthday. 1
Is Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry part of the international donor search?
Yes. Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
Questions about donating itself have their own pages: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
The registries’ own pages
- Irish Blood Transfusion Service. Can I Join the Bone Marrow Registry?
- Irish Blood Transfusion Service. Bone Marrow FAQs.Checked
- Irish Blood Transfusion Service. Why Join the Bone Marrow Registry?Checked
The World Marrow Donor Association and other figures
- United Nations Statistics Division. Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49): Overview (English table).
- UN DESA Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024: Total population by sex (CSV).
Research and other sources
- Jada Bascom Foundation. About us: Jada’s story.Checked