{"id":19995,"date":"2021-02-22T10:27:50","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T14:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=19995"},"modified":"2021-02-23T11:29:46","modified_gmt":"2021-02-23T15:29:46","slug":"tributes-paid-to-dr-emer-holohan-at-funeral-in-dublin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=19995","title":{"rendered":"Tributes Paid To Dr Emer Holohan At Funeral In Dublin"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ireland’s chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan (center) stands by the casket of his wife (PA Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>The funeral of Dr Emer Holohan (n\u00e9e Feely) has taken place in Dublin.<\/p>\n

The wife of the country\u2019s chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, battled cancer for eight years.<\/p>\n

Her father, brother, and children took part in the private funeral at the church of St Pius X in Templeogue.<\/p>\n

Dr Tony Holohan paid tribute to his wife, saying she had left a legacy \u201cthat can never be destroyed, and a void that will never be filled\u201d.<\/p>\n

With his two children by his side, Dr Holohan described Dr Feely as a \u201cloving, caring, warm, witty and sunny person\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cEmer, this is the day that was always coming, we knew that, we all did,\u201d he said. \u201cAfter that dreadful day in September 2012, you and I both knew you would leave us before your time, and you have.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour suffering is over. The pain, the anguish and the tears are at an end. We gather in this cruelly constrained way to mark your passing, in word, in prayer and in song.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not going to be a chronology of your life. I think too much of you to try to summarize you in a few short minutes of words for people who may not know you.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor those who do know you, they don\u2019t need me to set it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Holohan praised his wife in how she handled her long illness: \u201cOnce upon a time, I worried about how you would ever cope with the adversity we met along the way of our lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought your soft and sensitive nature might mean you would find some of life\u2019s tests too much for you.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow little I know,\u201d Dr Holohan added. \u201cYou faced the illness without fear or anger.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, you asked the usual questions about why us and why me, but you didn\u2019t dwell on them. You didn\u2019t let it rule you or define you, no matter how it impacted you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their daughter Clodagh, who is in college, described her mother as a \u201cray of sunshine\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout our childhood mom was always there for us,\u201d Clodagh added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember the day when we were told that mom was sick, which was a complete shock to us all. The fear of the unknown was the worst bit. She epitomized the word brave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Feely\u2019s son, Ronan, who is studying for his Leaving Certificate exams at Terenure College, said his mother was \u201ctruly one of a kind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was one of those people who had the ability to click with every person she met, she had such a sharp wit and her sense of humour was like no other,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have always admired her so much for her strength and resilience whenever an obstacle came her way. She always had that special ability to put on a brave face even when it got tough.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said to us the other day, \u2018I have fought my best fight\u2019, and she really did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Due to current Government guidelines regarding public gatherings, the private funeral took place for immediate family only. It was streamed live on Monday at 12.30pm.<\/p>\n

Dr Feely’s request was for family flowers only and donations if desired to Terenure College sixth year Gofundme campaign, in aid of The Irish Cancer Society and Our Lady\u2019s Hospice.<\/p>\n

She died at Our Lady\u2019s Hospice, Harold\u2019s Cross on Friday morning in the company of her husband and children, Clodagh and Ronan.<\/p>\n

She had been living with a form of blood cancer since 2012. She was a specialist in public health medicine and a medical graduate of University College Dublin.<\/p>\n

Dr Tony Holohan has been a household name since last March when the Covid-19 pandemic took hold, and his nightly briefings as part of the National Public Health Emergency Team have dominated the news agenda.<\/p>\n

In July, he took a leave of absence from his role as Emer entered palliative care, returning to the position in October.<\/p>\n

Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin has said his thoughts are with the family and praised Dr Feely’s contribution to the health service.<\/p>\n

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