Six female healthcare trailblazers pay tributes to their mentors
Pharmacist Laura Dowling
To mark the day, we spoke to women in the health sector to find out who inspired them.
Pharmacist Laura Dowling, 46, lives with her husband and three sons in Dublin. The author and founder of fabÜ admires many healthcare professionals, including her mother, a midwife.
“I began my career in community pharmacy, and, day after day, saw women apologising for asking questions about their bodies, and it always struck me as wrong,” Dowling says.
“Social media became a way for me to answer common questions in a clear and approachable way. What followed was a community of women who were hungry for accurate information and honest conversation, and I created a live show, called Love Your Vulva, a humorous, informative, and educational performance centred on women’s intimate health. The response was extraordinary.
“I deeply respect those who continue to advocate for better representation of women in clinical research and who are working to close gaps in knowledge around female health. I also admire women [in the health sector] who use their platforms responsibly in the age of social media: Accurate, evidence-based health information matters more than ever.
“Throughout my career, I have been supported by incredible female colleagues in pharmacy, who encouraged me to trust my instincts and back myself.
“On a more personal level, my mum, Geri Mulvany is someone I admire enormously. She raised us to be resilient, independent, and curious. She instilled a strong sense of self-belief in me, which has shaped my career in ways I probably did not fully appreciate at the time.”
Tammy Darcy, 46, is the founder of The Shona Project, a non-profit that provides online resources on mental health, self-esteem, bullying, and body image to teenage girls. She lives in Waterford with her husband and three children. Darcy has long been “surrounded by amazing women”, both at work and in her personal life.
“I worked for many years in SETU and had a boss called Dr Helen Murphy in the School of Education, from whom I learned so much. She is still my biggest cheerleader.
“I also owe a debt of gratitude to The Shona Board, currently chaired by entrepreneur and broadcaster Aine Kerr. Over the years, they’ve provided me with mentorship and support, and they’re a huge reason I’ve grown so much in this role. They give their time, because they are passionate about our work, but I’ve also, personally, really appreciated the time they have given me.
“But the person who influenced my life and career the most is my big sister, Shona. When she was 15, she was diagnosed with a brain injury and lived for the rest of her life in nursing care, struggling with very complex physical and mental difficulties. The Shona Project was my way of ensuring that people know she was a person who lived.
“She died on St Brigid’s Day 2023, aged 45, with no idea that the Shona Project existed, or that hundreds of thousands of girls across Ireland had been supported in her name. Turning a negative and traumatic experience into something positive has been really healing for me, and our entire family.”
Dr Caitríona Ryan, 45, clinical professor at University College Dublin and a consultant dermatologist, lives in Dublin with her family, which includes her two young children and five stepchildren. She deeply admires “clinicians and researchers who stay firmly anchored in science, especially in areas like health and wellbeing, where trends can move quickly”.
“I have huge respect for people who prioritise evidence, integrity, and long-term outcomes over popularity. I’m inspired by leaders who combine high standards with generosity; who build, mentor, and innovate, but always keep the patient at the centre of every decision.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been inspired by women who lead with competence and composure, demonstrating that entrepreneurship in healthcare does not mean compromising standards.
“I spent seven years in Dallas, undertaking advanced clinical and research work in psoriasis. Prof Sarah Rogers, from UCD, was my mentor during my dermatology training in Dublin and was instrumental in encouraging me to pursue that path. She ignited my passion for psoriasis research and supported my move abroad. Her belief in me at a formative stage had a lasting impact.
“I genuinely cannot imagine how different my career and life would be without her encouragement. From her, I learned that excellence in medicine is built through hard work, continuous learning, research, and consistency. I also learned the power of mentorship. One person’s belief in you can alter the entire trajectory of your life. She sadly died, unexpectedly, two years ago, and I miss her dearly.
“I often think about the women whose shoulders we stand on. Many of them worked in systems that were far less flexible and supportive than today. Their persistence created opportunities that my generation has benefited from. I feel strongly that our role now is not just to achieve individually, but to widen the path.
“If young women entering medicine feel that leadership, research, and entrepreneurship are realistic options for them, rather than rare exceptions, then we are making meaningful progress. That is something I am proud to contribute to.”
Dr Sarah Fitzgibbon, 49, lives in Cork with her husband and three children. She is the founder of the Women in Medicine in Ireland Network (WiMIN) and is the primary care clinical advisor with the National Screening Service.
The women she admires most in healthcare are those who “can see the bigger picture of wellbeing”, while her mother had the biggest influence on her life.
“The clinical director of CervicalCheck, Prof Nóirín Russell, is unwavering in her commitment to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, alongside other leaders, including Dr Caroline Mason Mohan, Dr Lucy Jessop, Dr Cliona Murphy, and Dr Triona McCarthy.
“There are many other female doctors who have inspired me along my path: Dr Mary Favier, a committed and fearless advocate for women’s health, long before it was fashionable or even safe to do so; Dr Kathleen Lynn, founder of St Ultan’s Hospital in the 1920s, which was one of the first institutions to employ mostly women; and Dr Monica McWeeney, who was vice-president of the Medical Women’s International Association in the 1980s, when female doctors were still in a minority in Ireland.
“In fact, there are so many fantastic women doctors whose work has shaped and transformed Ireland’s healthcare landscape that I collect their stories, and publish one every Sunday under the WiMIN ( wimin.ie) initiative.
“On a personal level, my mother, Barbara Fitzgibbon, 80, taught me that nothing is impossible. She sailed around the world with my dad when she was 50 years old, walked the Camino de Santiago over the years, raising money for Breakthrough Cancer, and is currently on her boat in Valencia with my father, 84, swimming daily, eating tapas, and soaking up the sun: I want to be her when I grow up.”
Although her “spiritual home is West Clare”, Elizabeth (Liz) Yeates, 61, lives in Dublin with her husband and three children. After undergoing treatment for breast cancer in 2012, two years later, she joined the Marie Keating Foundation, where she is now the CEO. She is also the chairperson of the 221+ support group and is full of admiration for cancer patients, in particular the late Vicky Phelan.
“I was privileged to meet the amazing Vicky Phelan and join with her and others to co-found the 221+ cervical support group in 2018 to help the women and families affected by the cervical screening issues.
“Vicky was such an amazing person and a powerful patient advocate, who, despite the horrendous diagnosis she was dealing with, was a true beacon of light, resilience, and hope for others affected by adversity and cancer.
“As CEO of the Marie Keating Foundation, I also feel so privileged to walk alongside many patients who are at their most vulnerable while facing a scary diagnosis of cancer. Having worn those shoes myself, I’m now in a position to lighten the load of those whom the foundation supports, year-round. Bearing witness to their courage and resilience is a gift.
“My mum, Frankie O’Neill, was a true inspiration to me and to all of her eight children and 24 grandchildren. Being one of the few women who left the depths of West Clare in the 1940s to complete a degree at UCD from the age of 16, she recognised the value of education and encouraged each of us to do well at school and go on to third-level education.
“An amazing cook and homemaker, she managed the family finances and took great pride in each of our achievements and in seeing our careers develop, but also inculcated the important spirit of charity and kindness in each of us.”
Mother of three, Dr Caoimhe Hartley, 43, GP and women’s health specialist, lives in Dublin with her family.
The woman who most inspired her is a doctor she worked with while living in Canada.
“I lived in Alberta for five years, working in a dedicated women’s centre there with Dr Kim Anderson Hill, who founded it. Through sheer grit and determination, by the time I left, she had grown the clinic to an all-female staff of 15 doctors, admin, and nursing support.
“It became a place which was incredibly useful for women, a really dedicated space, similar to what we are doing now at the Blackrock Women’s Health Centre, where I am the clinical lead. She really inspired me and made me realise that I didn’t have to work in general practice, but could actually dedicate my career to women’s health. She never said ‘no’ to anything: If you went to her with an idea, her immediate reaction was always to [figure out how to] make it work. She was fantastic.
“In addition to her, the most inspiring woman in my life is my mom, now in her 80s, who is amazing and instilled in me a sense of love for education and independence. I would be lost without her.”
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