Tony Holohan
William Gerard Anthony Holohan is an Irish public health physician who served as Chief Medical Officer of Ireland from May 2008 to 1 July 2022. Fergal Bowers described him as being "as familiar as Dr Anthony Fauci in the US and arguably as influential".
Tony Holohan | |
|---|---|
| Chief Medical Officer of Ireland | |
| In office 21 May 2008[a] – 1 July 2022 | |
| Deputy | Ronan Glynn |
| Preceded by | Jim Kiely |
| Succeeded by | Breda Smyth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Gerard Anthony Holohan Limerick, Ireland |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | CBS Sexton Street |
| Alma mater | |
| ^a Holohan temporarily stepped back as CMO due to family issues on 2 June 2020. Deputy CMO Ronan Glynn was appointed to the office until his return in October 2020. | |
Holohan's 14 years leading Ireland's public health strategy encompassed the 2009 swine flu pandemic, the CervicalCheck cancer scandal and the COVID-19 pandemic. He became a prominent figure during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland, when he chaired the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), while simultaneously supporting his children and wife as she battled a cancer diagnosis.
In March 2022, he announced his intention to step down as Chief Medical Officer, after being appointed as Professor of Public Health Strategy and Leadership at Trinity College Dublin. This caused several days of controversy, and as a result, Holohan announced his retirement as CMO on 1 July and would not take up his planned academic position at TCD.