Award for Social Accomplishment

Every two years one person, who has carried out outstanding activities aimed at the social benefit of people with epilepsy, is recognised. The candidate must have a longstanding record of activities promoting improvement in the social circumstances of people with epilepsy.

Dr John Kirker, Ireland, is the worthy recipient of the Social Accomplishment Award for 2007. Dr Kirker was born in Norfolk, England and studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin. With a travelling scholarship he worked with William Gordon Lennox at Boson Children’s Hospital in 1948-9 with shorter periods with Dr Gibbs in Chicago and with Dr Penfield and Dr Jasper in Montreal.

Dr Kirker has been a consultant physician at Sir Patrick Dun’s Hospital (general) and St Patrick’s Hospital Dublin (psychiatric) and lectured in pharmacology at Trinity College Dublin. He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (FRCPI) in 1956 and was its Director of Examinations 1983 - 1985. During his illustrious career he was Chairman of the Medical Education Committee, Medical Council of Ireland and was directly responsible for the development of electroencephalographic services in Ireland. He became Director of Electroencephalographic Department of the National Neurosurgery Centre at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. At international level his work to improve the quality of life of people with epilepsy includes:

• Representative on the Advisory Committee on Medical Training of the European Union in epileptology.


• Organising Committee, Epilepsy & Society Conference, Dublin 1990.


• Chair, IBE Driving Commission 1989 - 2001.


• Organiser, IBE’s Driving & Epilepsy Workshops, Brussels 1995 and 1996.


• Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee, International Epilepsy Congress, Dublin 1997.


• Founding Member IBE and ILAE associations in Ireland.


• Ambassador for Epilepsy 1974.


• Current member, 2nd European Working Group on Epilepsy and Driving - advisory board to EU.