DR TONY Holohan is to be awarded the Freedom of Dublin City in recognition of the work he did throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Ireland's former Chief Medical Officer, who stepped down last week to spend time with his family as his wife has been admitted for palliative care, has drawn praise and gratitude from people across the country for the way he steered the Ireland through the worst of the pandemic.
Now Dr Holohan is to be honoured with the Freedom of the City of Dublin, a position formerly held by such figures as John F Kennedy, Éamon de Valera, Pope John Paul II, Mother Theresa and U2.
He was proposed by newly elected Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu, who said she was "honoured to propose Dr Tony Holohan, as the leader of the Covid response team, for Dublin City's highest award, the Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin".
"The position he holds represents all frontline workers and all the work they do.
I am honoured to propose Dr. Tony Holohan, as the leader of the #COVIDー19 response team, for the Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin. He has been a constant presence in our lives during Covid19 and his calm manner in imparting advice gave reassurance to us all. pic.twitter.com/6z7LB7ZIpp
— Lord Mayor of Dublin (@LordMayorDublin) July 6, 2020
"He has been a constant presence in our lives during Covid-19 and his calm manner in imparting advice gave reassurance to us all."
The nomination was agreed and ratified by councillors in Dublin yesterday evening, receiving cross-party support from speakers representing Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin, Independents, Social Democrats, the Green Party and Labour all supporting Dr Holohan for the Freedom of Dublin.
The award acknowledges the contribution of recipients to the life of the capital, and Dr Holohan's sacrifices and hard work at a time when his own family was struggling with tragedy have not been overlooked.
The award will be conferred to Dr Holohan in the near future, the city council told RTÉ News.
