Vicky Phelan, who passed away on November 14 at the age of 48, has been laid to rest following a private service in accordance with her wishes.
"In accordance with Vicky’s wishes, a private funeral has taken place," her family said in the notice published on November 18 on RIP.ie.
Phelan passed "peacefully" on November 14 at Milford Care Centre in Co Limerick "in the presence of her loving family, after a long illness borne with great dignity." her family said in the RIP.ie notice.
"Vicky will be sadly missed by her loving family, husband Jim, daughter Amelia, son Darragh, her parents John and Gaby Kelly, her siblings Robbie, Lee, Jonnie and Lyndsey, parents-in-law Jim and Breda Phelan, nephews, nieces, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, other relatives, friends and neighbours.
"May She Rest in Peace."
Phelan's family asked for donations to be made to Milford Care Hospice in Limerick in lieu of flowers.
Her family said that messages of sympathy may be expressed through the condolence section on RIP.ie or cards and messages of comfort can be sent to Cross’s Funeral Home, 2 Lower Gerald Griffin Street, Co Limerick.
Upon Phelan's passing on November 14, her family - husband Jim and children Amelia and Darragh, said in a statement: "It is with an immense burden of grief, that earlier today we bade our final farewell to our beloved Vicky.
"She was the heart & soul of our family unit & her passing will leave a void in all our lives, that at this point seems impossible to fill. We cherish the memories of a loving wife, mother, daughter & sister, who's ability to deal with the struggles of life has inspired not only ourselves, but an entire nation.
"The outpouring of grief & good wishes from far & wide are truly appreciated. Funeral arrangements when made will be private, with an opportunity for people to pay their respects in due course."
Phelan is credited with making Ireland's CervicalCheck scandal public knowledge after she was wrongly told a cervical smear test she had in 2011 was normal and was not diagnosed with cancer until 2014.
The “false negative” was uncovered during a retrospective audit and was relayed to her doctor in 2016. However, Phelan wasn't informed for another 15 months. It later emerged that more than 200 other women diagnosed with cancer may have missed out on earlier medical intervention.
In 2018, on the steps of Ireland's High Court, Phelan gave a now-infamous address where she exposed one of the worst women’s health scandals in Irish history, the cervical cancer debacle.
Her refusal to sign a non-disclosure agreement led to the discovery that hundreds of other women could have benefited from earlier treatment if they had not received false negative results.
Phelan will be remembered with a special musical tribute on tonight's episode of RTÉ's The Late Late Show.
Tonight, we will remember our dear friend Vicky Phelan, as her fight continues after her death.#LateLate pic.twitter.com/OX7REBc00k
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) November 18, 2022
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