Irish study is tackling the pain of irritable bowel syndrome

More than 2.5 million people in Europe have irritable bowel syndrome. Now, an Irish study aims to find out more, writes Áilín Quinlan

TO THE casual observer, accountant Sara Byrne is just like any other twenty-something, but her chatty, outgoing manner belies the debilitating condition which dogged her for years and resulted in three major surgeries.

It all started with a dull ache in her right hand side in March 2005, when Sara, now 27, was sitting her Mock Junior Certificate exams.