Esteemed surgeon who gave devoted service
The death on Saturday August 30 of Peter Magill, a long-time surgeon at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar, has brought to an end a life of extraordinary good.
This was a remarkable man, who will be remembered not just for his talent and dedication, but for his kindness, his immense intellect, and not least, his sense of humour.
He was energetic, cheerful, and treated everyone as an equal, and his work and achievements helped make Mullingar hospital the modern treatment facility it is today.
A native of Belfast, Peter Francis Magill was born on November 21, 1943, and at the age of 12, he became a pupil at Clongowes Wood College, sitting his Leaving Certificate there in 1961.
After school, he went to Queen’s University Belfast to study engineering – but two years into that degree he decided his interests lay in the field of medicine, and he transferred to the medical faculty, qualifying in 1969.
He spent his intern year in the Mater Hospital in Belfast in 1969/1970, at the start of the ‘Troubles’.
Peter married Sheila Hanna in December 1972 and did stints working in Canada, Tobago and Barbados before applying for a consultant post in Mullingar in 1980.
Mullingar was to prove his permanent home and he remained attached to Mullingar until his retirement in 2008. He was a general surgeon, ultimately with a responsibility for the breast cancer service in this area.
Displaying great generosity of spirit, Peter spent several periods between 1989 and 2002 volunteering with the Medical Mission Sisters in Attat Hospital in Ethiopia.
When he retired from Mullingar hospital, that did not mark the end of his involvement in medicine: after retirement, he continued his involvement in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, teaching and examining both in Dublin and abroad.
Peter was a founder member, secretary and president of the Rotary Club in Mullingar, and a recipient of the Paul Harris Medal for ‘Service Above Self’. For a number of years, he was on the management board of All Saints National School.
Tragically, however, Peter’s retirement was blighted. The insidious beginnings of complex progressive degenerative neurological disease began to show about eight years ago. Peter was ultimately diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Multiple Sclerosis.
Peter died peacefully at his home on Mullingar’s Ardmore Road, surrounded by family.
He is survived by his wife, Sheila, his children, Rachel, Clare and David, and his grandchildren Aibhe, Darcy, Fionn, Matilda, William, Calum, Danny Peter, and Elsie. Peter was sadly predeceased by his granddaughter Juno in 2007.
On Thursday of last week, Peter was cremated after a short service at Glasnevin, at which the eulogy was delivered by one of his friends of longest-standing, Professor Alun Evans.
The lives of countless people have been enriched and indeed in many cases prolonged by this dedicated surgeon, and he will long be fondly remembered. Ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís.