![\"Finbar](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_Finbar-Polin-from-Gilford-Co-Down-Haemochromatosis-UK-touring-photographic-exhibition-We-are-Overl.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n“It\u2019s scary because it affects you mentally; you don’t know where you are going with it…”<\/p>\n
Finbar Polin was diagnosed with haemochromatosis in 2020 during the pandemic (Image: )<\/p>\n
A Co Down man has opened up about his fears after being diagnosed with Northern Ireland\u2019s most common inherited condition known as the ‘Celtic curse’.<\/p>\n
Finbar Polin from Gilford<\/a> was diagnosed with haemochromatosis in 2020 during the Covid<\/a> pandemic. Haemochromatosis, also known as iron overload, is caused by a genetic condition where the body absorbs too much iron from the diet.<\/p>\n If not detected early, excess iron can build up in the body and significantly increase the risk of serious ill-health<\/a>, including chronic fatigue, joint pain, liver disease, diabetes, heart and bowel disorders, alongside symptoms such as brain fog and impacts on mood and wellbeing for many patients.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Details of NHS appointments available across Northern Ireland dental practices<\/a>READ MORE: ‘I was diagnosed with cancer just days after my daughter’s first birthday’<\/a><\/p>\n According to the NHS<\/a>, haemochromatosis most often affects people of white northern European background and is particularly common in countries where lots of people have a Celtic background, such as Ireland, Scotland and Wales.<\/p>\n While some people have no obvious symptoms<\/a>, others may experience chronic fatigue, joint pain, memory or concentration issues, abdominal pain and skin conditions. If left untreated, the condition can lead to serious long-term health complications.<\/p>\n Speaking about his experience, Finbar said: “It\u2019s scary because it affects you mentally; you don’t know where you are going with it… the next thing I knew I was diagnosed with diabetes. Unfortunately, a lot of doctors don’t know about it.”<\/p>\n Haemochromatosis UK has previously found that one in 10 people in Northern Ireland<\/a> carry the underlying genetics that put them most at risk of developing iron overload, although many people have no symptoms until damage has already occurred.<\/p>\n From this month, the charity Haemochromatosis UK will offer up to 23,500 households free genetic screening for Northern Ireland\u2019s most common inherited condition in selected postcodes across Irvinestown<\/a>, Portadown<\/a>, Ballymena<\/a> and Magherafelt<\/a>.<\/p>\n Households in the relevant postcodes will receive information about genetic haemochromatosis and will be offered a free genetic test, alongside access to genetic counselling to help them understand their results.<\/p>\n Thanks to the support of Hagan Homes and other funders, Haemochromatosis UK is able to cover the full cost of genetic testing, which would normally cost \u00a3129 per person.<\/p>\n Haemochromatosis UK is bringing a touring photographic exhibition to Northern Ireland (Image: )<\/p>\n James Hagan, founder of Hagan Homes, has a deeply personal connection to the decision to support the awareness campaign: \u201cSomeone very close to me was recently diagnosed with genetic haemochromatosis \u2014 despite having no symptoms. Their experience highlights exactly why this campaign is so important.<\/p>\n \u201cMost people affected have no warning signs, yet the potential consequences can be extremely serious if the condition goes undetected.<\/p>\n \u201cAt Hagan Homes, we are committed to supporting our community. When I learned more about the campaign\u2019s significance \u2014 and its relevance to someone I care about \u2014 it was clear that lending our support was the right thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n As part of the campaign, Haemochromatosis UK will also bring its touring photographic exhibition, We are Overloaded, to Millennium Court in Portadown, with public viewing available from January 19, 2026.<\/p>\n Finbar was instrumental in bringing the exhibition to Portadown and is an active volunteer for the charity. He is one of the people featured in the exhibition: “I got involved with the charity, it\u2019s good to know there are people to talk to.<\/p>\n “Being part of the charity and meeting other people with it has really helped me. And that’s where the exhibition is really powerful as each picture is a person with a story.”<\/p>\n Pictured are (l-r) Neil Irwin, Philanthropy Manager, Haemochromatosis UK and James Hagan, Founder of Hagan Homes(Image: )<\/p>\n In 2023 and 2024, Haemochromatosis UK ran a public awareness campaign generously conceived and delivered by Genesis Advertising and media partners, titled Funny Name, Serious Condition, which significantly increased public recognition of the condition.<\/p>\n Hagan Homes supported screening at that time and is now backing further screening in selected Northern Ireland postcodes. The programme will not only help identify families with the underlying genetics, but also improve understanding of the prevalence of haemochromatosis locally.<\/p>\n Speaking about the screening, CEO of Haemochromatosis UK, Jonathan Jelly, said: “We are very grateful to Hagan Homes for their generosity in supporting this campaign, we simply couldn’t do it without them.<\/p>\n “We receive no NHS funding and without this support and other funders like Halifax Foundation for NI and The National Lottery Community Fund, our screening, awareness and family support work simply couldn’t happen to this extent.”<\/p>\n For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here<\/a> and sign up to our daily newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"“It\u2019s scary because it affects you mentally; you don’t know where you are going with it…” Finbar Polin…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":369358,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[29171,3017,2861,3016,2211,59,102,104,1647,121773,2205,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-369357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-ballymena","tag-co-derry","tag-co-down","tag-co-fermanagh","tag-coronavirus","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-nhs","tag-northern-ireland","tag-portadown","tag-real-life","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=369357"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369357\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/369358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=369357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=369357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Haemochromatosis](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_Portraits-Haemochromatosis-UK-touring-photographic-exhibition-We-are-Overloaded-at-Millennium-Cour.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Pictured](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_PEYE-171123KB3-0019jpeg.jpg\")
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