Profile: Ronan Glynn: Young doctor from GAA family at centre of increasingly controversial Covid battle

Holohan's 'apprentice' earns respect of medical peers and politicians

Ronan Glynn takes questions in his role as acting chief medical officer. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins

Ellen Coyne

August 22 2020 02:30 AM

Ronan Glynn was nervous. It was the start of April, Ireland was in a state of anguish and anxiety over Covid-19.

Tony Holohan, the chief medical officer, was in hospital undergoing tests unrelated to the virus. Dr Glynn, as his deputy, was taking over the daily Covid-19 briefing.

"You could tell he was nervous," an insider, who was in the Department of Health that night, said. "But it didn't come across on camera."

There was a view in the Department of Health that Dr Holohan, who had attended plenty of press events and gruelling Oireachtas committees in his time, was used to being front and centre in the glare of a camera. Dr Glynn, the young deputy CMO, was not.

Months later, Dr Glynn would take over as acting CMO after Dr Holohan stepped back to spend time with his family as his wife Emer started palliative care.

"He was taking over from Tony Holohan, who was beloved, and had been on people's televisions every night of the week throughout Covid-19," the insider said.

"Ronan stepped up and adapted to something that would not have come naturally to him."

Glynn grew up in Lydican, Oranmore in Co Galway and is the eldest child of George and Mary Glynn. His family owns the popular Glynn's Fruit and Veg shop.

His wife, RTÉ journalist Carla O’Brien. Photo: Gerry Mooney

The acting CMO is married to Carla O'Brien, the RTÉ journalist, and they have two young children. He graduated from UCD with a BSc in physiotherapy in 2002 before studying medicine at the University of Aberdeen.

In 2013, Dr Glynn graduated with a PhD in surgical oncology at NUIG before he completed a Masters in public health at UCD in 2015.

His career included senior roles at the HSE and Hiqa before joining the Department of Health as deputy CMO in 2018.

One of the projects he was most passionate about as deputy CMO was the HPV vaccine, and he helped the Department of Health to fight a major misinformation campaign which led to a drop in uptake of the cervical cancer vaccine.

Dr Glynn's colleagues say he is someone who collaborates a lot. He is deliberate and thoughtful.

He is described as someone who would be difficult to have an argument with - a valuable skill in the sometimes "fractious" Department of Health.

He was described by one source as being "Tony Holohan's apprentice" but those who've worked closely with Nphet over the last number of months pointed out that Dr Glynn had been doing a huge amount of detailed and forensic work helping Dr Holohan since the pandemic spread to Ireland.

Dr Glynn was often called on during early press conferences to provide data on outbreaks among meat factories or direct provision centres.

One medical expert said he was "most impressed with Ronan, because he's been working as acting CMO without his own Ronan".

Doctors working with Safetynet, a primary care charity working with the most marginalised, have been impressed that Dr Glynn has taken the time in recent weeks to call and ask them how things are going as they test and trace homeless people and asylum seekers for Covid-19.

Dr Glynn has shown an interest in healthcare issues affecting marginalised or minority groups throughout his career. In 2016 and 2017, he helped lead a HSE awareness campaign on the risk of STI transmission through chemsex - when people use drugs to enhance or intensify sex.

Dr Glynn is a very popular man among those he has worked with.

While he had two years as deputy CMO compared to Holohan's 12 years as CMO, there is a strong desire in Government to point out how capable Dr Glynn is.

Some ministers even think the word "acting" should be dropped from his title.

"While everyone wants Tony Holohan to return, I really don't want the public to think that Ronan is some kind of understudy for Tony," one minister said.

Dr Glynn is also very well received among what one politician described as "the Tweeting doctors".

Leader

As the Government fumbled its way through worsening crises and confusing Covid-19 advice this week, there appeared to be a concerted campaign from the likes of Cillian De Gascun, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, and Maitiu Ó Tuathail, the well known GP, to compliment Dr Glynn as a leader.

There was strong praise for a video Dr Glynn made for social media explaining the new restrictions after a confusing and poor Government press conference.

While the former CMO was successfully kept separate from politics, there are fears Dr Glynn could be tarnished by association with the new, calamity-prone Government.

"He has the hardest CMO job in Europe," one doctor said, pointing out that the public health advice for earlier stages of lockdown was much simpler.

"Ronan has a much tougher job than Tony did. I think it would be better if he did the Covid-19 briefings by himself."

Nobody can remember politicians or businesses attacking Dr Holohan, but Glynn has already had to deal with cold and cutting statements from the GAA over a decision to limit sports and off-the-record comments from ministers about Nphet's "draconian" measures.

The former may have stung, as his family are strong supporters of the GAA.

His parents' fruit and vegetable shop has been the sponsors of the Claregalway team.

Sitting oddly among the public health experts and politicians that Dr Glynn follows on social media is the Galway GAA account.

Dr Glynn is still in his 30s and while accomplished, is very early in his career to be dealing with such a major national role during a global pandemic.

It is expected he has more than earned the right to graduate on to the full-time CMO role if and when it becomes available.

Others speculate that with such a sudden high profile, plenty of other opportunities could also now be available.

"He has gone from strength to strength," a colleague said.