Defibrillators - Devices must be available at all events

The tension-filled game that will be the All-Ireland senior football final between Kerry and Tyrone tomorrow will undoubtedly provide some heart-stopping moments in Croke Park.

Unfortunately, those kind of moments have proved fatal for some in the past, but the GAA set a major headline in the world of sport in recent years which still needs to be followed by other organisations.

Croke Park is probably one of the safest places, apart from a hospital, to suffer a heart attack.

The provision of defibrillators, as well as the presence of medical personnel and equipment, have proved to be life-saving on several occasions.

With more than 80,000 attending tomorrow’s final the chances of somebody suffering cardiac arrest is more than a possibility. However, it does not need to be the occasion of a tension-filled All-Ireland final to bring on that condition. It can happen at any sporting venue, tragically illustrated by the sudden death this week of a soccer player.

Defibrillators can save lives and should be available at all sporting events. In any case, people should have regular health checks for high blood pressure and cholesterol, especially men who are notoriously shy of doing so.