Catherine MolloyCATHERINE MOLLOY, who has died aged 66, was a general practitioner in Cork who contributed to many aspects of the health service in Munster and inspired others with her kindness, determination and courage.
Catherine Molloy (née Conroy) was born in Galway in 1943. She was the second of a family of three children.
Unusually, she was tutored at home until secondary school. She spent five happy years as a boarder in the Dominican College, Taylor’s Hill, Galway. She excelled academically and at sport.
She studied medicine in University College Galway, graduating in 1967. It was there she met her husband Mick Molloy – the former Irish rugby team doctor..
They married in 1968 and moved to London where they lived for 10 years with their two daughters. Her postgraduate training included rotations in several London hospitals before starting and running her own family practice in Banstead near Epsom. It was during this time she became a member of Mensa.
On return to Ireland, when Mick took up a position in Cork University Hospital as consultant rheumatologist, she developed her general practice in Douglas. She acquired an excellent reputation as a family doctor, her attention to detail and her kind and gentle manner were evident in both her professional and private life.
Following a kidney transplant in the early 1990s she continued to work in general practice but eventually retired on medical advice.
Far from stopping her professional development, her health problems enabled her to view the hospital service first hand as a patient and gave her an insight which stimulated a global interest in healthcare planning and delivery.
While recuperating from the transplant, she studied art history and English.
This led to her combining her art and medical interests by chairing the arts committee at Cork University Hospital.
She encouraged, quietly and persistently, donations from artist contacts, applied gentle but firm pressure to ensure appointment of an arts co-ordinator, resulting in an enhanced physical environment for patients and staff.
She was for many years a member of the Southern Health Board and was chairman for four years.
She was a significant contributor to the development of Dingle Community Hospital and strongly supported the Cork Rape Crisis Centre.
She spearheaded the battle for retention of a quality blood banking service for Munster. In spite of being ill at that time and faced with constant opposition, she followed her belief that it was the right thing to do.
In 2005, acknowledging her many services to medicine, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland awarded her the Stearne Medal, a rare honour given from time to time to persons of distinction who contributed to medicine in Ireland.
In University College Cork as a member of the governing body from 1998-2008, she was known for her independence and served on many committees.
She was also chairman of the visual arts committee at the university and a member of the steering committee for the art history programme.
She strongly supported the Glucksmann gallery and it was a source of pride to all involved in this development.
Perhaps her outstanding skill was in connecting and communicating with people, whether just catching up with their news, or influencing them in a quiet, persuasive way to achieve her goals, which were always focused on improvements for others.
In the last years of her life she suffered many medical problems and she bore these with extraordinary courage and dignity and without complaint. She remained interested in others always.
A talented woman, she adored her family and was a huge strength and support to her husband Mick and daughters, Eleanor and Catherine. Her joy in spending time with them and her grandchildren in her beautiful home and garden in west Cork was obvious.
She and her husband travelled widely during the early days of his rugby career. She was very involved with the London Irish Rugby Club and acted as a match doctor over many years.
She was fully committed in her support of Mick during his involvement as Irish team doctor and she enjoyed rugby.
She was well liked in the rugby community and more than able to enjoy and contribute to the banter.
Her own sporting achievements included hockey at interprovincial level, and playing golf with a handicap of six. She did The Irish Times and Daily Telegraph crosswords daily.
Her connections with Cork University Hospital were multiple – as a general practitioner referring patients, as the wife of a staff member, as chairman of the arts committee, as the mother of two doctors who worked there, and as a patient.
She died there peacefully on May 25th.
She will be remembered fondly as a gentle and respected woman with a great interest in others. Catherine Molloy is survived by her husband Mick who cared for her during her illness, their children Eleanor and Catherine, and her grandchildren.
Catherine Molloy: born October 8th, 1943; died May 25th, 2010