Current Blood Supply
Peoples' Stories
Feeling unwell?
Feeling unwell after giving blood?

Speak to a doctor on (01) 4322800 or (021) 4807400 for donors in the Munster region.

Did You Know?

Information about Blood

An average adult has between 10 and 12 pints of blood
7% of a person's body weight is made up of blood
Human blood travels 60,000 miles per day on its journey through the arteries, arterioles and capillaries and back through the venules and veins
Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body
Blood carries carbon dioxide and other waste products back to the lungs, kidneys and liver for disposal
There are about 1 billion red cells in two to three drops of blood
View the Current Blood Supply here

The most common blood group in Ireland is O positive (47% of the population)
The rarest blood group in Ireland is AB negative (1% of the population)
The most common blood group is O, accounting for about 46% of the world's population. However, in some areas other blood groups predominate, in Norway for example, type A is the most prevalent
People in the West of Ireland are predominantly of blood group O
There is a higher concentration of Group A blood in counties which historically received Viking, Anglo Norman and English population settlements
There are more people with Rhesus negative blood on the East coast than the West
Read about Blood Groups here

Read about the Blood Donation Process here
One in four people will need a blood transfusion at some point in their lives
Over 1,000 Irish people receive transfusions every week in Ireland
Approximately 70,000 patients will have transfusions in Irish hospitals this year
The IBTS supplies 71 hospitals in Ireland with blood and blood products 365 days a year
One car accident victim may require up to 30 units of blood, a bleeding ulcer could require anything between 3-30 units of blood and a coronary artery bypass may use between 1-5 units of blood
A unit of blood lasts for just 35 days