The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is a very visible organisation, running frequent media campaigns and blood drives to raise awareness about blood donation. Regulations on blood donation in Ireland are quite strict, and it is worth checking online whether you are eligible to donate before making the trip to a clinic. The main blood donation clinics are at D’Olier Street, Dublin 2, James’s Street, Dublin 8 and Stillorgan in south county Dublin. Dates and locations for mobile clinics are available on www.ibts.ie. Donors are not paid and a preliminary blood test is carried out beforehand. Each donor is issued with a card that states their donor number and blood group.