Cork councillor urges haemochromatosis test to prevent misery of 'Celtic curse'

Fine Gael councillor Damien Boylan, left, with John Henchion and Kate Durrant at the Blarmey Person of the Year Awards at the Castle Hotel, Blarney, last January. Pic: Gavin Browne

A father and son living with a genetic iron-overload condition which left untreated can lead to premature death have called for a national screening program.

Fine Gael councillor Damien Boylan, and his father Tony, from Blarney, in Cork, said a simple blood test for haemochromatosis, nicknamed the ‘Celtic curse’, can prevent a life of misery.