A calm, straight talking figurehead during a time of confusion and fear

WHEN it eventually comes time to write the history of the Coronavirus in Ireland, one name will almost certainly feature above all others. While Leo Varadkar and Simon Harris led the political response to the crisis, it is Tony Holohan who has become synonymous with Ireland’s battle against COVID-19.

As Chief Medical Officer, Dr Holohan led the country’s response to the crisis and his face became a daily fixture of life under lockdown in every home.

While the news he delivered in his daily briefings – an awful daily catalogue of death to which we all became sadly accustomed to – was often deeply depressing, he was a beacon of sense and reassuring calm in the midst of an unprecedented crisis.

In the last week, Dr Holohan has stepped aside from his role to be with his terminally ill wife and their children. After months at the coalface of an historic health emergency, he is taking a deserved break to spend some precious time with his own family.

The news that Dr Holohan is stepping back from his high profile role has, very understandably, led to a veritable tsunami of tributes and thanks.

While tributes from politicians would be expected – particularly from those like Mr Varadkar and Mr Harris with whom he worked so closely during the crisis – the thousands of thank you messages from ordinary people across the country show the impact Dr Holohan has had.

Just two years ago, Dr Holohan was at the eye of a very public storm as revelations about the Cervical Check service shocked the nation, leading to enormous and deserved criticism of the HSE, how it operates and how it had failed hundreds of women in their time of need.

Whatever the criticisms of Dr Holohan in the past, no-one can deny the tremendous service he has done for his country during the COVID emergency. Service which has drawn him comparisons with the late Noel Browne.

Dr Holohan was the calm, straight-talking figurehead we needed at a time of astonishing confusion and fear. We owe him our gratitude and our very best wishes as he and his family deal with their own personal trauma.

Though Dr Holohan has been the figurehead, we must also make sure that we remember the many thousands of others on the front line of the health service battle with COVID.

In the last few weeks as life returns to something like normal – and we rush back to bars, barbers and beauty salons – it seems many are already starting to forget the enormous sacrifices that have been made in the fight against Covid.

Over 1,700 people in Ireland have lost their lives to the virus that has infected over 25,000 people across the nation. Of that 25,000 who fell ill, a third are healthcare workers, most of whom contracted the virus while working to heal others.

Their dedication and their sacrifices cannot and must not be forgotten. So if you find yourself enjoying a drink and a meal out in the coming days, at the very least, please raise a glass to the thousands of selfless people who have helped get us here.