The Cormac Trust was set up after the sudden death of Cormac McAnallen on 2nd March, 2004. Cormac’s death came as a shock to people not only in his local area, but also to people all over Ulster and Ireland, as he was a well-known sportsman of exceptional fitness and of ostensibly perfect health. It was largely due to the death of Cormac, Irish youth rugby international John McCall and other subsequent cases that the Irish public became aware of the issue of sudden cardiac death among young people.

From the time of Cormac’s death, the McAnallen family were keen to direct public attention to these cardiac conditions that cause such sudden deaths. Hence the family, with the assistance of the GAA Tyrone County Board, set up the Cormac Trust. The following are its four objects:

1. To raise awareness of sudden cardiac deaths in young people, and its causes
2. To promote cardiac screening for young people, especially for athletes
3. To provide education & information to raise awareness at government level and among other authorities as to the value of providing facilities for the screening of young people
4. To provide automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for sports clubs in the local region, for the use of the entire local community and to train people in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the use of defibrillators

Please visit the Cormac Trust website for more information.