Latest news with #TonyHolohan
Irish Times
a day ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Tony Holohan ‘full of joy' as he shares news of marriage to Ciara Cronin
The State's former chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan , has said his heart is 'full of joy' after marrying mindfulness therapist and yoga teacher-trainer Ciara Cronin. Dr Holohan married Ms Cronin at the National Maritime Museum in Dún Laoghaire, south Dublin on Saturday. In his 2023 memoir, We Need to Talk, he described her as a 'source of joy and optimism and hope for the future' following the death of his late wife, Dr Emer Feely. Dr Feely, a specialist in public health medicine, died during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. READ MORE She had been battling multiple myeloma, a terminal form of blood cancer, since 2012. Her death came while Dr Holohan had become the public face of the State's response to the Covid-19 pandemic in his role as chairman of the National Public Health Emergency Team. He had taken time away from his duties to help care for his late wife, saying he wanted to give 'all of my time' to her and their two children, Clodagh and Ronan. Tony Holohan described the wedding as 'a beautiful day shared with the people we love'. Photograph: Michael Mulcaire Dr Feely died in February 2021, with her wake and funeral being held under the toughest Covid-19 restrictions with church attendance limited to 10 people. He subsequently met Ms Cronin, an accredited mindfulness-based psychotherapist and yoga and meditation teacher and trainer in 2022. He told The Irish Times almost a year later that his late wife hoped for another relationship for him when she was gone. At the time, Dr Holohan spoke happily about developing a 'separate and independent connection' between Ms Cronin and his children and how comfortable they are talking about their late mother. 'It all feels very good and natural,' he said. [ Tony Holohan: 'My wife was slowly dying and would be cut off from her friends and family in the last few months of her life' Opens in new window ] Posting photos online on Sunday of his wedding, Dr Holohan said: 'My heart is full of joy and happiness – a beautiful day shared with the people we love.' Last week, he said he is 'so happy that Ciara and I will spend the rest of our lives together'.
Extra.ie
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Dr Tony Holohan enlists son for best man duties as he ties knot to Ciara Cronin
Dr Tony Holohan recruited his son Ronan for best man duties as the former Chief Medical Officer married his partner Ciara Cronin over the weekend. The couple had dated since 2023, with Dr Tony Holohan last week revealing the pair were set to say 'I do.' The father-of-two revealed his relationship with the yoga teacher two and a half years after the death of his wife, Emer. Dr Tony Holohan recruited his son Ronan for best man duties as the former Chief Medical Officer married his partner Ciara Cronin over the weekend. Pic: Justin Farrelly Emer, who Tony met when he was just 19 years old, died following a cancer battle during the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking to the Irish Independent following the nuptials, Dr Holohan said his wedding to Ciara was 'beautiful from start to finish.' The couple were surrounded by their nearest and dearest, with the doctor's son, Ronan, standing as best man as they tied the knot at the National Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaoire. The bride went for a non-traditional floral skirt which went just past the knees while the groom went for a navy suit and tie combination. Dr Holohan also told the publication that he and his new wife were heading to France 'for a few weeks of rest and time together.' In October 2023, Dr Holohan opened up on his blossoming relationship with Ciara as he spoke on an episode of The Meaning of Life which aired on RTÉ One. 'I have met somebody new,' he revealed, 'I have a new partner for the last number of months in my life, which is wonderful.' Asked if he was nervous about the new relationship, he admitted it was a 'significant thing to find the basis for moving on' but Ciara had made it easier. He added that meeting another family for just the second time in his life was 'kind of strange and lovely all at the same time.'
Irish Times
22-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Covid inquiry: Holohan, Varadkar unlikely to give public evidence for review about ‘learning lessons'
Leading figures involved in managing the Republic's response to the pandemic are unlikely to face a public grilling as part of the State's evaluation of the crisis. The Covid-19 independent evaluation, an expert panel established by the last government, today launched a public consultation inviting submissions on people's experiences of the period. However, its chair, Prof Anne Scott, said it was unlikely that figures such as former chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan or the taoisaigh in power at the height of the crisis – Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin – would give evidence in public. She said senior figures such as the chief medical officer and the minister for health had been on TV screens every night during the pandemic. She said she did not think the review 'requires us to actually rerun that'. READ MORE 'This isn't about really living in the past. It is about learning lessons,' she said. The public had a 'benign perspective' on decision makers who had to balance different factors when managing the response, Prof Scott said. The evaluation is 'not focused on individual accountability' but instead will consider 'the structures, processes, frameworks that are in place'. It is understood that while interviews with key decision makers will be recorded, a transcript is not expected to be made public after the group's work is finished. Asked if people would be named in the report, she said this was not the intention. 'We are not here to point fingers or to apportion individually blame. What we are here to do is assess the effectiveness and impact of the kind of decisions that were made.' Dr Tony Holohan and Leo Varadkar who were in office during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photograph: Dave Meehan Prof Scott said there would be public-facing events, including 'round table live stream' events hosted on the evaluation panel's website, which the review team expects to be held with groups representing different stakeholders affected by the pandemic, as well as debates. An initial 'voluminous' tranche of documents about the management of the pandemic has been handed over by Government departments and key agencies involved in managing the pandemic. [ The Irish Times view on the Government's Covid evaluation: a minimalist response Opens in new window ] Prof Scott said this approach would allow a 'more open, more flexible dynamic'. She said she hoped there would not be a need for legal representation and that she hoped to produce a report with 'clear, practical, implementable recommendations'. She expects 'significant co-operation' when seeking further information from departments and Cabinet, noting that the review team does not have statutory powers to compel the production of records. Safeguards around Cabinet confidentiality are also a consideration. The evaluation team today announced the start of a public consultation, which is open to all adults and is available online. Three additional panel members were also confirmed on Thursday, alongside Prof Scott and Dr David Heymann. Prof Bert Gordijn, Dr Nat O'Connor and Dr Nora Strecker have joined.
Irish Independent
22-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
No public grilling of Covid pandemic chiefs as inquiry invites public to share pandemic experience
Professor Anne Scott, who is chair of Ireland's Covid-19 Evaluation, was speaking as she launched a nationwide public consultation, inviting individuals, families, workers, carers, communities and businesses to share their experiences of the pandemic. She said the evaluation will be non-adversarial and non-statutory and its purpose is to 'learn lessons from the pandemic by examining Ireland's response and impacts across the health and care system, wider society and the economy'. This consultation is one element of a wider programme of work, insights gathered will inform the Evaluation's final report, which will be a comprehensive, evidence-based analysis to help Ireland prepare more effectively for future emergencies, she added.. 'Today we are inviting members of the public to share their experiences of the pandemic. This is the first step in building a clear and honest picture of how Covid-19 was lived and felt by individuals, families and communities throughout Ireland. Our goal is to produce a thorough, independent assessment of Ireland's pandemic response. One that reflects real life as well as official records. 'While several reports and analyses have already been produced, there has been no single overview of the full impact of Covid-19 on Irish society. By reviewing existing documentation, drawing on international and national research, and engaging directly with key decision makers, we aim to understand what worked and what didn't. 'It's about learning — and making sure Ireland is better prepared for the future.' Asked about how it will operate she said there will no opening hearings. Some round table discussions will be streamed on its website. These could include stakeholder organisations in discussion with the expert panel. A special module on nursing homes is planned and it is expected a private session in a special venue will involve invitations to people who have been bereaved or suffered distress at a time when the pandemic was at its height and serious restrictions were in place to tell their story. However, asked if questioning of key figures such as former chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan or former HSE chief Paul Reid will be open to view she said these will all take place in private. No person will be named in the final report and there will be no accountability. She believed the non statutory nature of the inquiry will lead to more engagement. She said she has already secured number of documents from Government departments and other public service agencies. She can request cabinet memos and the meetings of cabinet committees. She said the evaluation is supported by a multidisciplinary panel of national and international experts. They include Professor David Heymann, an epidemiologist and public health experts from the UK. The others are Dr Nat O'Connor, a lecturer and assistant professor of social policy in UCD and Prof Bert Gordijn, Director of the Institute of Ethics at Dublin City University and Dr Nora Strecker of UCD's School of Economics. The link online for those who want to share their experience is The consultation is open to all adults across the country.A separate consultation is planned for children. She said it offers an opportunity for people to share how the pandemic response impacted them to inform future learnings. Individuals can respond through an online survey or written submission. Stakeholder organisations are also invited to contribute formal submissions. She added that the evaluation 'will build a detailed understanding of Ireland's response across the health and care sector, society and the economy. It will draw on a wide range of inputs, including requested documentation, research, and lived experience, to produce a final report within 12-18 months. The consultation is now open and will run until 1 July. Individuals and organisations can participate at
Irish Independent
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘He's the person you want at your shoulder in times of trouble' – Tony Holohan on his bond with Mike Ryan
Dr Mike Ryan and Dr Tony Holohan both became unlikely TV stars during the Covid pandemic but once the cameras were off they could be found having critical chats on the phone.
