Lifford doctor honoured in portrait collection

A LIFFORD doctor has been recognised for her contribution to healthcare through a prestigious new portrait collection in the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

Dr Anne Kilgallen is one of six fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) to receive portraits from the institution. She is a retired Public Health specialist and former Chief Executive of Northern Ireland’s Western Health and Social Care Trust.

The launch coincides with the 100th anniversary of the first female fellow admitted to the college. Dr Mary Hearn a gynaecologist at the Victoria Hospital for Women & Children in Cork was sworn in as the first female fellow in November 1924.

The photographic exhibition was unveiled during the RCPI Annual Conference today on Wednesday last to acknowledge the immense contribution of women to medicine.

Dr Diarmuid O’Shea, President of RCPI explained that a change to the college bylaws just over 100 years ago, made Fellowship available to all Members of the college “irrespective of sex”.

“Fellowship is an internationally recognised benchmark of professional excellence in medicine and the highest honour the college can award,” Dr Diarmuid O’Shea said.

“Dr Hearn was the first woman to be awarded FRCPI. Since then, over 660 women have been admitted as Fellows of RCPI and over 60% of our postgraduate medical Trainees are women.”

Other recipients include Prof Moira O’Brien, Dr Fiona Kevitt, Prof Nadine Farah, and Dr Alida Fe P. Talento.

Dr Anne Murphy from Drogheda, a retired Paediatrician, sadly passed away shortly after her portrait was taken. Her image will line the walls of RCPI alongside pioneers like Dr Kathleen Lynn, one of the first female medical graduates from UCD; Professor Mary Horgan, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health; and Laura Brennan, health advocate for HPV vaccinations.

The photographic portraits were created by Dublin-based photographer, Pauline Rowan in collaboration with the Fellows.