Irish doctor who was chief medical officer of New Brunswick, Canada dies

Eilish Cleary (60) was sacked from her job in New Brunswick after she spoke out about the risks from fracking and also while she was examining potentially carcinogenic glyphosates.

She became the youngest doctor to graduate here when she was 22, and moved to Canada in 1998, first in Manitoba before settling in New Brunswick.

According to her obituary “Eilish believed deeply in access to healthcare for all and worked throughout her entire life to ensure that this was available.”

The mother-of-four was New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health from 2007 to 2015 before becoming a family doctor

She also spent time fighting Ebola in West Africa, and won the President’s Award from the Public Health Physicians of Canada in 2016.

The Liberal government dismissed Cleary from her role as chief medical officer of health in 2015 in a high-profile case that left many New Brunswickers calling for her reinstatement.

She later got a new job with the federal government working as a specialist focusing on First Nations health issues.

She said at the time she would be focused on First Nations health and based in Fredericton,.

After her departure as chief medical officer a settlement was reached.

According to her obituary she died on March 22, 2024.

Ms Cleary was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1963 to John and Mary Cleary. She had four siblings, Brid, Kevin, Fiona, and Siobhan.

“ Eilish believed deeply in access to healthcare for all and worked throughout her entire life to ensure that this was available.

With Gerard Beirne, Eilish had four children, James, Luke, Sorcha, and Cormac, who she loved dearly. She enjoyed travel, and shared this love with her children at early ages.

Today’s News in 90 Seconds – March 25th

“In 1998, the family moved to Northern Manitoba and lived in Norway House Cree Nation, where she worked at the hospital. Though this move was planned to be temporary, she found another job in Manitoba, which became the family’s home for many years. Eventually, Eilish moved with her family to New Brunswick, where she rose to the position of Chief Medical Officer of Health.

“Eilish met Paul Meyer in New Brunswick and found that they shared a passion for travel and adventurous water sports. They bought a house together in Penniac and worked on the property extensively, building a bunkhouse and walking trails through the woods behind it. In subsequent years, they explored the property regularly, walking its wooded hills for hours at a time.

“Nestled in the backwoods, Eilish loved this cozy home until her final days. As per her wishes, her ashes will be brought home to Ireland.”

A visitation was held yesterday at McAdabm’s Funeral Home on Sunday, March 24, 2024 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated today 11am am at St. Dunstan’s Catholic Church New Brunswick.

Her ashes will be brought back to Ireland and buried with her mother in the family plot in Crosskeys, County Cavan, Ireland, at a later date.